Ordnung.
Swiss graphic design, 1950–1980. The argument, the posters, the books.
212 posters, 47 books and journals, 14 years of the journal Neue Grafik — one proposition: that order is not the enemy of expression, but its precondition.
Wall text, 340 cm
Galerie 2, east wall
Set in Archivo Medium
The grid divides space. The designer decides what it carries. Typography can be loud enough to replace illustration — order strict enough to replace decoration.
Between 1950 and 1980, Basel and Zurich turned a teaching method into an international language. Josef Müller-Brockmann aligned a Beethoven poster to a grid and Concert Hall audiences noticed the poster before the concert. Emil Ruder set the measure of a page the way a composer sets tempo.
Ordnung assembles the evidence: the posters that argued, the journals that codified, the teaching materials that spread the method from the Allgemeine Gewerbeschule to design schools on four continents — and the concrete paintings that proved the same rules without a single letter.
Selected works
8 of 212
Full index: 288 pp
CHF 48
| No. | Designer | Work | Year | Technique | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KAT 001 | Josef Müller-Brockmann | Beethoven — Tonhalle-Gesellschaft, Zürich | 1955 | Silkscreen | 128 × 90.5 cm |
| KAT 002 | Josef Müller-Brockmann | Musica Viva — concert series, 24 posters | 1958–72 | Lithograph | 90 × 64 cm |
| KAT 003 | Armin Hofmann | Giselle — Stadttheater Basel | 1961 | Lithograph | 90 × 128 cm |
| KAT 004 | Hans Neuburg & Carlo Vivarelli | Neue Grafik — journal, issues 1–46 | 1958–65 | Letterpress | 32 × 24 cm |
| KAT 005 | Richard Paul Lohse | 18 vertikale systematische Farbreihen mit Diagonalen | 1962–68 | Oil on canvas | 100 × 81 cm |
| KAT 006 | Verena Loewensberg | Ohne Titel (Rhythmus in Rot) | 1968 | Oil on canvas | 80 × 80 cm |
| KAT 007 | Emil Ruder | Typographie — eine Gestaltungslehre | 1967 | Book, 274 pp | 23 × 16 cm |
| KAT 008 | Karl Gerstner | Designing Programmes | 1964 | Book, 118 pp | 24 × 17 cm |
Full catalogue: Ordnung — Swiss Design 1950–1980, ed. Katrin Widmer, Haus der Form / Verlag Form, 2026
- 12 Sep 2026, 18:00 Opening — the curators introduce the argument 45 min, Galerie 2, followed by apéro Lecture Free
- 04 Oct 2026, 10:00 One grid, four posters — workshop Materials included, limited to 14 places Workshop CHF 40 · Register
- 22 Oct 2026, 17:30 Ruder's measure — guided tour (EN) Reading the exhibition through its typography Tour Included
- 07 Nov 2026, 19:00 Order and its discontents — panel With guests from Zürich and Rotterdam Panel CHF 12
- 05 Dec 2026, 10:00 Type as image — workshop for ages 12+ No design experience required Workshop Sold out
Last entry 30 min
before closing
Coat check free
Hours
| Tuesday — Friday | 12:00 — 18:00 |
| Saturday — Sunday | 10:00 — 18:00 |
| Monday | Closed |
| 25 & 26 December | Closed |
Admission
- Standard
- CHF 14
- Reduced — students, AHV
- CHF 8
- Under 16, Basel pass
- Free
- Tuesdays
- CHF 7 — supported by Kanton Basel-Stadt
Finding us
Haus der Form, Rittergasse 11, CH-4051 Basel.
Tram 3 or 8 to Rittergasse. Two minutes on foot from the river.