For the students of the Department of Design Film Art at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, the exhibition is the last highlight of their studies before the graduation ceremony. This year, the final exhibition will take place from June 21 to 29 on the Lucerne-Emmenbrücke campus. It will be opened on June 20 at 6.30 pm.
Around 300 design, film and art students are currently working more or less feverishly on the completion of their Bachelor’s and Master’s theses. From June 21 to 29, the results will be on display in Viscosistadt 745. From animated films to design management, from textile design to illustration, a diverse exhibition is being created that shows what the graduates are working on and what they are taking away from their training. ’For our students, the final project is a calling card for their career, whether as a data designer, illustrator or spatial designer with a degree in Spatial Design. I am therefore delighted that they are able to showcase their skills to a large audience on site,’ says Jacqueline Holzer, Director of the Department of Design Film Art.
All departments at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts are concerned with the topic of health. This year’s final projects show that this also applies to all areas of study in Emmenbrücke, as the following examples show. It is worth taking enough time to view the works throughout the building and to watch one or two of the graduation films. Those who are unable to view the works on site will find descriptions and images of all the works on the Werkschau website from June 20.
In her bachelor’s thesis in object design, Meline Sager is developing objects for physical stress management. Based on a survey and findings from design and psychology, she has created sustainable solutions suitable for everyday use - such as an inconspicuous hand object or a warm cushion. The aim is to make relaxation more intuitive and accessible.
How can we better deal with everyday stress? What does it take for relaxation to become tangible rather than just a wish? Meline Sager from Sursee provides answers in her bachelor’s thesis in object design with ’Forms of Relaxation’. She has created various objects that can help with physical stress management.
’Many people encounter situations that trigger stress every day,’ explains Sager, ’and there is nothing wrong with that, provided there is a healthy balance between activation and relaxation. A conscious approach to stress and relaxation is important for our health.’ While many methods are mental, Meline Sager wants to use her skills as an object designer to create an approach that makes relaxation more intuitive, more tangible and more commonplace.
In order to find out why people find it difficult to relax during stressful periods, Meline Sager conducted an online survey in which over 110 people took part. Her main findings: Lack of time, recovery is forgotten or respondents have not yet found a method that suits them.
Reducing stress through physical experience
This is where the object designer comes in, drawing on findings from behavioral economics, psychoanalytics and sensory design. She develops objects that can be used in different places and times in everyday life and help to reduce stress through physical experience: The Allrounder for everyday life is small, light and unobtrusive, while hands busily move a metal ball in a fabric tunnel. When moving from work to leisure, a movable acupressure surface for the feet literally relaxes when placed in the right position. When falling asleep, a warming pillow on the side provides relaxation and helps the body to regenerate during the night.Sager attaches great importance to regionality and sustainability when selecting materials. The Swiss linen fabric for the pillow comes from the neri brand, which is backed by textile designer Mira Durrer. She develops and tests the fabrics herself in her Lucerne-based neri studio. Sager would also like to see regional collaborations and new creative impulses in the future. And at the exhibition? ’I’m looking forward to exciting encounters and would like to motivate people to try out my objects and feel what relaxation might feel like.
Stärneschii
In his animated short film Stärneschii, Jérémie Jayraj Itty processes his personal experiences with dementia and care at the end of his animation studies. In a poetically exaggerated observatory instead of a sterile ward, he shows the everyday work of a carer between stress, closeness and memory. The magical-realistic film is supported by the Paulie and Fridolin Düblin Foundation and SRF and will later be shown at festivals and on television.How does it feel to work in a closed dementia ward? Day after day, in the tension between closeness, responsibility and farewell? With his film Stärneschii, Jérémie Jayraj Itty from Lancy, GE approaches this question in a personal and poetic way as he completes his bachelor’s degree in animation. The 6:40-minute animated short film is based on Itty’s own experiences as a community service worker and as a relative. It was created by a team of four bachelor students with different specializations in animation work.
’I wanted to show what happens inside a person who wholeheartedly cares for others,’ says Itty. ’And how reality changes for him.’ Inspired by his time in dementia care - first at home with his grandmother, later as a community service worker in a closed facility - Stärneschii tells of the inner life of a carer. The film builds a bridge between documentary everyday life and artistic processing.
A look into the past
Instead of sober hospital corridors, the film opens up an opulent observatory: a magical world in which the residents appear as star beings. Each character looks different depending on how they are affected. The starlight stands for hope and constancy, is unique and yet part of a larger whole. This visual language stems from magical realism and serves as a visual metaphor for the state between the present and memory.’What we see of stars is long gone,’ explains Itty. ’Just as people with dementia often live in their past, but are still there in their own way.
Despite the fantastic setting, Stärneschii remains grounded. The dialog and movements are based on real situations. The everyday life of the carer, his constant thinking, his emotional involvement even during breaks, is symbolized by a long pier that connects the dream world of the observatory with the real working world.
Central scenes of the film, the character design and the first animations and backgrounds can already be seen at the retrospective. Visitors will gain a direct insight into the creation of this sensitive work and a very unique perspective on life with dementia.
The completion of the film is planned for the fall - followed by festival participations and a multilingual release. Stärneschii is co-produced by SRF and will be shown on live TV and available in the media library. Supported by
The team behind Stärneschii
Jérémie Jayraj Itty: director, writer, storyboard, layout, animation, editing, compositingInna Soroka: Storyboard, layout, color script, animation
Julia Estrada Torres: character design, sound design/sound supervisor, editing
Sammi Khuu: Backgrounds, Environment Design, Production Management
StudioLab Days from June 12 to 15, 2025
From Thursday, June 12 to Sunday, June 15, the final projects of the students of the Master Art Lucerne with the focus on Critical Image Practices, Art in Public Spheres and Art Teaching - Teaching Diploma in Fine Arts at Grammar Schools can be seen at the Kampus Südpol.Location: Kampus Südpol, Arsenalstrasse 28, 6010 Lucerne-Kriens
Vernissage: Thursday, June 12, 2025, 17:00, Finissage Sunday, June 15, 2025, 17:00
Program: https://www.master-kunst-luzern.ch/veranstaltungen/studiolab-days-2025/
