Film posters – part of cultural history

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February 2009: Four wheels – two more than you need Trix Barmettler/Xenix

March 1983: Houdini (left), Maggie Cheung (right) links: anonym/Xenix, rechts: Theres Steiner/Xenix

April 1990: East Germany Kurt Seiler/Xenix

April-May 1989: The new Arab cinema (left), July-August 2013: Open Air Cinema (right) links: Christian Vaterlaus/Xenix, rechts: Frau Diethelm/Xenix

April 1991: Films from the Soviet Union Mihàly Varga/Xenix

January 1995: Pedro Almodóvar Alberto Vieceli/Xenix

June-July 1986: Homosexuality in film anonym/Xenix

September 1988: New British Cinema anonym/Xenix

January 2006: Woody Allen (left), June 2006: Steve Buscemi (right) links: Alberto Vieceli/Xenix, rechts: Raffinerie/Xenix

January 2000: Quest for Fire Michel Casarramona/Xenix

December 2005: Michael Caine Franziska Burkhardt/Xenix

October 1992: Ken Loach, Jacques Tati, Yoko Ono anonym/Xenix

October 2002: 30 years of Filmcoopi Zürich (Zurich film cooperative) (left), December 2002: Adventure, French-style links: AGENTSY Sylvia Togni/Xenix, rechts: Rebecca Morganti-Pfaffhauser/Xenix

June 1990: New Nordic cinema Kristin Irion/Xenix

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Cinema posters are advertising material, and, by definition, of a transitory nature. But in reality, as a Zurich exhibition on the Cinema Xenix shows, they are not only witnesses to political and social movements, but also to the artistic and programmatic development of cinema.

Founded in 1981 as a Zurich Autonomous Youth Centre project, Cinema Xenix has become a Zurich institution and a centre for debate on politics and issues affecting society. The around 300 posters for film series and retrospectives that have been produced over the past 30 years also reflect this unconventional spirit. Subjects include films from former East Germany, gay films or new Arabic cinema. They have been created by various graphic artists.

Cornelia Diethelm and Sabine Albanese have chosen 60 of these posters, which are on display at the Museum für Gestaltung (design museum) in Zurich until September 28, 2014.