My favourite cultural venue: Gewerbemuseum Winterthur

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.

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.