Tendenzen at 50: Portrait of an Exhibition

The 1975 exhibition “Tendenzen – Neuere Architektur im Tessin” at ETH Zurich marked a decisive moment in Swiss architecture. Curated by Martin Steinmann and designed by Thomas Boga, it introduced a younger generation of Ticino architects, including Luigi Snozzi, Aurelio Galfetti, Livio Vacchini, and Mario Botta, to a wider public. In addition, it drew attention to a regional architectural culture based on material precision and conceptual autonomy. The exhibition and the accompanying catalogue quickly became reference points in contemporary architectural discourse and gained international attention: journals such as “Oppositions”, “A+U”, and “L’Architecture d’aujourd’hui” devoted special issues to Ticino architecture.

Fifty years later, “Tendenzen at 50” returns to the original event. Drawing on extensive research by Irina Davidovici and Frida Grahn, the current exhibition examines the original one from 1975 both as a cultural document and as a vehicle for disseminating architectural ideas in the analogue age of Xerox copies, letters, photographs, and slides. “Tendenzen at 50” explores how these ideas circulated, how the exhibition shaped architectural discourse, and why certain curatorial decisions have remained relevant over decades. Previously unpublished manuscripts, working notes, correspondence, layout studies, and architectural drawings offer insight into the curatorial process and the international reach of the historic exhibition. These archival materials are complemented by a large-scale model that reconstructs the original exhibition and by newly commissioned photographs by Stefano Graziani.

Curated by Irina Davidovici and Frida Grahn. A collaboration between gta exhibitions and gta Archive. Model by Studio Christ & Gantenbein.