Studio Thom Pfister: Annual report, art project, exhibition and magazine for BEK
Once again this year, Studio Thom Pfister was commissioned by Burgerliche Ersparniskasse Bern to design and implement the digital annual report. The core of the concept is an art project with exhibition "The Monkeys of Bern" and a high-quality art magazine.
The Burgerliche Ersparniskasse Bern, the oldest bank on the square and in the canton of Bern, is still the savings and mortgage bank for Bernburgers today. To honor the founders of 1820, the Burgerliche Ersparniskasse Bern regularly engages with the guilds through various projects. For example, the 700th anniversary of the Zunftgesellschaft zum Affen was taken as an opportunity to invite Bernese artists to explore the theme of the monkey and Bern in their works. The concept of inviting artists and the motto "The Monkeys of Bern" comes from Studio Thom Pfister.
The monkey polarizes in many respects. So a lot is possible when artists are invited by the Burgerliche Ersparniskasse Bern to deal with the theme "The Monkeys of Bern" on the occasion of the anniversary of the Zunftgesellschaft zum Affen. Is it even too bold an art project if creatives can freely interpret and stage the theme?
The resulting works show profound and circumspect thematic confrontations. For example, when the Helvetia on the pediment of the Federal Palace sensibly becomes the Homininae Helvetica (Homininae, referring to the subfamily of the great apes). Or when artists research the dioramas in the Natural History Museum, resulting in exciting interpretations of the role of the ape in the capital.
The exhibition was a great success and took place on May 12, 2022 in Kornhausforum Bern. The works of the 18 artists are available on the website of the digital annual report 2021 www.bek-gb.ch/kunstausstellung published. The art magazine can be obtained at the counter of the Burgerliche Ersparniskasse Bern.
Responsible at Burgerliche Ersparniskasse Bern: Roland Moser (Executive Board), Hanspeter Sinzig (Deputy Executive Board). Responsible at Studio Thom Pfister: Thom Pfister (Creative Director, Idea/Concept, Curator of the exhibition), Ursula Rytz (Consulting), Roland Zenger (Art Director), Daniel Hackiewicz (Graphic Design), Kim Wüthrich (Graphic Design), Juli Martinelli (Graphic Design).
