CH:DSGN Swiss Non-Conformist Design

Swiss Non-Conformists Design Exhibition

The “CH-DSGN : Swiss Non-Conformist Design Exhibition” showcases exclusive items from the most famous Swiss architects through the past 100 years, the biggest of its kind outside of Switzerland; from the Bauhaus and Dada movements to contemporary works.

This exhibition is dear to my heart, first as it showcases items of architects and product designers I studied, such as Marcel Breuer, Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret, specifically their work alongside the father of India’s architecture Balkrishna Doshi (who passed away a few weeks ago) for their designs in the then-new planned capital Chandigrah in Punjab India, a city that I also had an honour to visit.

Most significantly, this exhibition in itself, is confidently Non-Conformist. A call to the commonality and pureness of Oman and Switzerland, a call to our region, to our world, to all of us. A call to designers and artists specifically: be childish, make mistakes, indulge in your imperfection, in your unprofessionalism. Touch deep into your instinct and intuition and let it be your guide. Wear nothing but genuinity and originality, devoid of any consumerist and inessentiality in perfection. Founding this exhibition in a 'historic' National Museum is a reminder to rethink our relationship with the 'past'; not as a shadow that restricts us, but as a guiding light towards our future.

Similarly how Picasso’s art was transformed after taking inspiration from the paintings of the 16-year old Baya Mahieddine, he famously pronounced:

“It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child.”

Hoping, that this call and exhibition inspires us to live and design like children again. To make imperfect things. To be imperfect humans.