May 1, 2021—September 19, 2021

HfG Ulm:
Exhibition Fever

The exhibition HfG Ulm: Exhibition Fever by the HfG-Archiv Ulm presents, for the first time, an opportunity to explore the exhibition activities of the Ulm School of Design (HfG), which contributed significantly to its international reputation.

Without doubt, one of the most influential schools of design in the twentieth century, the HfG Ulm was a pathfinder for our contemporary understanding of design as an interdisciplinary practice. With hitherto unpublished materials, such as architectural models, professional trade journals, and historical photographs, HfG Ulm: Exhibition Fever illustrates how the school circulated their design positions and concepts around the world.

Exhibitions were so in vogue in the 1950s and 60s that experts spoke of an “exhibition fever”. Design was the topic of numerous exhibitions and fairs, and the HfG Ulm played a prominent role in these developments: During its 15 years of existence, the school organized an array of exhibitions to increase the visibility of its design position and to convey its elaborate teaching methods. Besides these self-portraits, members of the school conceived exhibition systems for external commissions, such as Braun and BASF as well as a contribution for the German Pavilion at the 1967 World Exhibition. Exhibitions were always a vital experimental terrain for the school’s design innovations. The dynamic atmosphere of these decades becomes tangible for visitors to HfG Ulm: Exhibition Fever through presentations in diverse media. The focuses range from the impact of the Ulm School of Design and its global reception to the search for an ideal exhibition design.

The showcase HfG Ulm: Exhibition Fever forms the conclusion of the four-year research project “The Visibility of the Ulm School of Design: From Ulm to Montréal”, which was supported by the Volkswagen Foundation and organized by Folkwang University of the Arts, Essen, the HfG-Archiv Ulm, and Pforzheim University.

On the project website of the exhibition you furthermore will find source texts and photographs on the exhibition events at the HfG Ulm.

With kindly support