My favourite cultural venue: Gewerbemuseum Winterthur

The museum raises awareness of the processes and materials behind today's wide range of design.

Gewerbemuseum: The name sounds a bit old-fashioned. And from that point of view it is misleading. Because what visitors get to see at the Gewerbemuseum Winterthur is totally modern. The building, which is located in the middle of the old town of Wintherthur, does not correspond to the classic image of a museum. Because this place is also very much about participation and many things - usually an absolute no-go - you are even allowed to touch!

At this point I have to go back and explain what was meant here by trade at all, because the word covers a whole range of meanings. In this case it is an abbreviation, the focus was on the so-called arts and crafts. In other words, it was about objects, primarily objects of daily use. And because no one wants to surround themselves with ugly things, man has always gone to great lengths to combine the useful with the beautiful. Many everyday objects produced by hand, machine or industry also have artistic pretensions. The Gewerbemuseum Winterthur clearly states this specification: it is a house for design, art and everyday culture.

Many people are not aware that the things we use every day have a cultural significance. The devaluation of design as a mere question of style - in comparison to noble art - is too firmly entrenched in people's minds. But design has a long history and has always stood at the interface between business and culture. That is precisely what makes design relevant. All the more reason to dedicate a museum to this subject. There are several design museums, also internationally. The Gewerbemuseum Winterthur, however, is unique - in more ways than one.

The changing exhibitions are complemented by an absolutely fascinating collection of materials: the Material Archive. The archive, which has been permanently installed since 2009, is more than a mere presentation of material samples. It is a real research laboratory: for young and old, experts and laymen alike. This unique feature in the local museum landscape is one of the reasons why I enjoy visiting this place so much and learn something new there every time. By the way, this knowledge is not simply a nice-to-have. After all, why shouldn't I know more about things that I use every day? More importantly, as a consumer of goods, it is my duty to learn about how they are made and where they come from.

Material archive

Gewerbemuseum Winterthur

Material archive

Whether glass, metal, wood, paper, plastic, stones, ceramics, paints or even leather - the motto here is: rummage, puzzle, explore and discover.

Permanent exhibition

In view of the climate crisis, we can no longer close our eyes to the fact that our consumer behaviour has contributed significantly to this unfortunate situation. But why do we still need a museum on this subject, one might ask. If we should stop producing new things anyway. That is not what design is primarily about. Something must be done to counter this reductive view of the discipline of design. Which is what the Gewerbemuseum Winterthur is doing!

The museum team led by Susanna Kumschick fulfils the complex task of capturing current design trends and conveying knowledge about materials with great commitment and passion. The curators consciously cultivate the freedom and advantages that come with a medium-sized museum. Their museum is an extracurricular place of learning and an awareness-raising machine, says the director.

Through the many collaborations with international museums of applied art, the idea of networking is very much in the foreground, even within the museum itself. The synergies between temporary exhibitions and the material archive allow for immediate in-depth study. If questions about materials arise in a show, visitors can go up one floor and find concrete answers, says curator Mario Pellin.

The museum wants to make design processes comprehensible. This is sometimes done through the education programme, which includes workshops for schools or a broader public. This museum is more of a laboratory and place of experimentation and also manages to meet today's demands for lively and democratic museum practices with participatory digital formats. Last but not least, it can contribute to advancing the current change in consciousness - not only in terms of sustainability, but also in terms of gender justice.

The Bigger Picture: Design - Women - Society

Gewerbemuseum Winterthur

The Bigger Picture: Design - Women - Society

The show makes the work of around 90 women designers visible over a period of 120 years and opens up a forward-looking discussion.

Permanent exhibition

Material archive

Gewerbemuseum Winterthur

Material archive

Whether glass, metal, wood, paper, plastic, stones, ceramics, paints or even leather - the motto here is: rummage, puzzle, explore and discover.

Permanent exhibition

Geschmacksfragen. Zum Wert des Lädierten

Gewerbemuseum Winterthur

Geschmacksfragen. Zum Wert des Lädierten

Dialogische Führung in der Ausstellung «Perfectly Imperfect».

S(ch)ein und Verfall

Gewerbemuseum Winterthur

S(ch)ein und Verfall

Talk in der Ausstellung «Perfectly Imperfect».

Published from Susanna Koeberle on March 16, 2023.

More from our scouts

My first time ... Theatre in Winterthur
21.03.2024

My first time ... Theatre in Winterthur

This weekend, I ventured out of Zurich to explore what the Winterthur theatre scene has to offer.

Enno Rennenkampff
Enno Rennenkampff
Free Zurich world of books
15.02.2024

Free Zurich world of books

Zurich offers dozens of opportunities to find new reading material for little or no money. A stroll through the city is all it takes.

My first time ... at the Bechtler Foundation in Uster
29.06.2023

My first time ... at the Bechtler Foundation in Uster

The Bechtler Foundation, which will open in May 2022, is located in the middle of the Zellweger Park area. It is on the one hand a spatial work of art and on the other hand art in open ...

Simone Liedtke
Simone Liedtke

More from your scouts

Adrian Schräder
Adrian Schräder
Nicole Seipp-Isele
Nicole Seipp-Isele
Soraja Hagspiel
Soraja Hagspiel
Gretta Bott
Gretta Bott
Nora Kehli
Nora Kehli
Sari Pamer
Sari Pamer
All scouts