Roland Früh
Flüelastrasse 10
CH 8048 Zürich
rolandfrueh (at) gmail.com
28 September 2025
Back in 2014, our friend Susanne Hofer called us up and suggested we’d join her on a visit to an artists studio in Manhattan.
The artist was Françoise Grossen. We spent an afternoon with Susanne and Françoise, wandering around her loft, admiring her powerful, in a way monstrous but breathtakingly beautiful works made from wool, rope, and many other materials. Her work did not just decorate the loft – it owned it. We were mesmerized. (You’ll understand from the image above, which is from Françoise’s website)
Several years later, we would still email with Françoise maybe once a year, exchange news and one day she sent us images of a webcam documenting the construction of the Tamina bridge.
We had hoped to show Françoise’s work in Switzerland one day, at Sitterwerk maybe. In the end it took more than just a few years until now, finally, we can almost certainly announce that, thanks to the support of her family, it will be possible to install one of her works at the library of SIK-ISEA for the duration of a few months in 2026.
Essay(s)
Nachgelesen, 8. September 2013
An essay I had written in September 2013 for an unrealised book about books. The essay basically is about ‘circuits’ or ‘circular flows’ in regard to the production of texts. It proposes the consequent revisiting of a small selection of texts to further and further understand their interconnectivities, and opposes the superficial browsing of large quantities of literature without understanding any of it. read here
The paperback through time and space, 10. April 2014
This essay was published in: Balgiu et al., Eigengrau, first sketched then inked, Chaumont Design Graphique, 2014. read here
Parity, 16. May 2016
In 2016 I had been asked to write an essay about whatever I felt was urgent in the field of graphic design. I had just attended the Parity Talks at the architecture department of the ETH Zürich, and it felt, such a transparent, straightforward and productive discussion is needed for the field of graphic design as well. read here
Texts
2025
The magician and the surgeon – the role of the designer in the age of mechanical reproduction, an introduction to Sophie Wietlisbach’s book, Impact Type, Manufacturing Type for Typewriters in Switzerland, 1941–1997, published by ECAL and Triest Verlag
2024
Start from Zero, small contribution to the publication Publishing anecdotes. A research zine on critical and artistic publishing practices edited and published by Roman Karrer.
A conversation with Robin Kinross, for the book Typobiografie. Jost Hochuli, Arbeiten aus 60 Jahren, published by VGS and others.
2023
Kreisbewegungen in Vorderhorben, with Reto Müller and Barbara Signer, for the exhibition catalogue Reto Müller, Le nombril du monde, published by Jungle Books.
2022
Realismus 2.0, an accompanying text for the publication Dinge Zeichnen by Alex Hanimann and ZhdK.
2021
Introduction, for Simon Magers book Words, Form, Language. On Concrete Poetry, Typography, and the Work of Eugen Gomringer, published by ECAL and Triest Verlag
2021
Chronological Diagram, with Ueli Kaufmann, for Swiss Graphic Design Histories
Press Photos, for Swiss Graphic Design Histories
2017
Writing is for reading, essay for Fabrikzeitung
2016
Do magazines furnish a room? essay for Brand New Life
2015
Trying to be here…, publication with artist Jiajia Zhang and curator and critic Daniel Morgenthaler
2013
30 Years of typographic discourse in the Typographische Monatsblätter, research project at ECAL, publication and web archive. With Louise Paradis, François Rappo, Luke Archer
2011
The missing years of the most beautiful Swiss books, traveling exhibition with stops in Zurich, Locarno and Geneva, web archive and catalogue. With Corina Neuenschwander
Work
2022–
Fachreferent and Co-Director at the library of SIK-ISEA, Zurich
2024–2025
Contributor to the research project Beyond Bézier, as part of the Master Type Design at ECAL
2014–2022
Responsible for the Kunstbibliothek at the Sitterwerk Foundation, St. Gallen
2014 –
Ad-hoc lecture series Easy Lessoning that started in New York and is now taking place here and there. With Corina Neuenschwander and Other Means
2009 –
Visiting professor for theory and research at ECAL MATD, formerly known as ECAL MAAD. With Wayne Daly
2011–14
Programme co-ordinator at Werkplaats Typografie
2013
Programming of the lecture series Common grounds, common practices, jointly hosted by Werkplaats Typografie and the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam. With guests Cory Arcangel, Jürg Lehni, Joëlle Tuerlinckx, Willem Oorebeek
2011
Awarded a Swiss Design Award in the category Design mediation
2009–14
Co-founder and co-director at Helvetic Centre London