Consumer worlds. Focusing on everyday life

Exhibition

From markets to department stores to online: where and how we shop has changed drastically over the past 170 years. And consumption itself is constantly evolving, too. More money and more free time are shaping what we can do, what we need and what we want, both individually and collectively. This is evidenced by a wide range of photos, as well as graphic works from posters to shopping bags. The exhibition draws on pieces from the Swiss National Museum collection to present eclectic imagery from everyday life. It ranges from the colourful kiosk to the department store that has everything, and from a cheerful get-together at the local pub to a photo slideshow at home reminiscing about past summer holidays.

Blog articles

The heady history of humans and alcohol

Isabelle Hausmann

8. August 2024

Alcohol has been a companion to humankind since the year dot: as an enjoyable beverage and addictive substance, but also as a hygienic alternative to water and even as a remedy for intestinal worms. A short cultural history of an everyday toxic substance.

Shopping underground

David Eugster

1. Oktober 2020

On 1 October 1970, the Shopville shopping centre opened underneath Zurich’s Hauptbahnhof. The underground shopping arcade was a minor sensation.

Award-winning Posters

Felix Graf

18. Mai 2017

On 18 May the journal Werbewoche chooses this year’s Advertiser of the Year. To mark the occasion we take a look at some of the best posters held by the Swiss National Museum.

All blog posts

Media

The media conference on the exhibition is taking place on 18.12.2024 at 10:00 at the National Museum Zurich.

The media folder and materials are available for download from this date.

accessibility.sr-only.person_card_info National Museum Zurich press contact

National Museum Zurich

+41 44 218 65 64 medien@nationalmuseum.ch

Exhibition imprint

Overall management Denise Tonella
Project direction and curator Aaron Estermann
Scenography Ralph Nicotera Szenografie und Innenarchitektur
Exhibition graphic LDSGN Designstudio, Thomas Lehmann
Scientific collaboration Thomas Bochet, Katharina Kofler
Advisory committee Roman Aebersold, Günhan Akarçay, Heidi Amrein, Beat Högger, Markus Leuthard, Sabrina Médioni, Denise Tonella
Project controlling Sabrina Médioni
Project support Heidi Amrein
Cultural services and museum education Gerda Bissig, Lisa Engi, Vera Humbel
Technical management Henrike Binder
Exhibition construction Ira Allemann, Marc Hägeli, Philippe Leuthardt, Julia Rusterholz, David Schwitter
Conservation management Iona Leroy
Conservation and mounting of objects Sonja Bantli, Nikkibarla Calonder, Iona Leroy, Lennard Lindenmann, Sarah Longrée, Charlotte Maier, Gaby Petrak, Andrea Rohrer, Sophie Scholz, Tino Zagermann
Object logistics and assembly Christian Affentranger, David Blazquez, Simon d’Hollosy, Reto Hegetschweiler, Aymeric Nager, Milan Tomic
Loans Laura Mosimann, Claudio Stefanutto
Photography Jörg Brandt, Felix Jungo
Picture library Ronja Eggenschwiler, Andrea Kunz, Fabian Müller
IT | Web Alex Baur, Thomas Bucher, Danilo Rüttimann
Media stations Alex Baur, Thomas Bucher, Pasquale Pollastro
Marketing and Communication Anna-Britta Maag, Sebastiano Mereu, Carole Neuenschwander, Alexander Rechsteiner
Advertising graphic Iza Hren Visuelle Gestaltung
Translations Language Factory, Marco Marcacci, Laurence Neuffer, Nigel Stephenson

Items generously loaned by

Migros-Genossenschafts-Bund, Zürich
Museum für Gestaltung Zürich, Plakatsammlung, Zürcher Hochschule der Künste
Ringier Medien Schweiz, Zürich
Schweizerisches Sozialarchiv, Zürich
Schweizerisches Wirtschaftsarchiv, Basel

Unless otherwise stated, the exhibits belong to the collection of the Swiss National Museum, including the Herzog collection.

Consumer worlds

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