Conte Visuel – Alfredo Haeberli


[Title] Conte Visuel
[Artist] Alfredo Haeberli
[Date] March 18 – May 18, 2010 

Once upon a time, a designer lived in a faraway land. He yearned to visit the country of Japan, at least once in his life. He read stories about the Land of the Rising Sun, collected information from anyone he could and otherwise strived to quench his curiosity. But these efforts only further fueled his fascination. Then one day, an idea sprang to mind. He decided to write a letter to Japan, and express his longings on paper. Who would receive this letter – a message sent to a place he really knew nothing about?

Time passed, and he largely forgot about the letter. It was then that a strange looking letter appeared in his mail. Opening it, he was amazed to find that it was an invitation posted to him from Japan. His long-cherished dream was about to come true. Thus, the designer set foot in Japan for the very first time. As he made his way to the home of the sender of the invitation, his heart raced with anticipation. At last, he arrived at the address. There, he saw the letter he had sent so long ago. It was placed at the heart of the alcove in that home, suspended like a scroll and charming the eyes of the people of Japan.

Chosen as the Hermès annual theme for 2010 has been “Tales to be Told.” Portrayed in this window is a story spun from the rich imagination of Swiss designer Alfredo Häberli. Herein, a group of dwarfs spring forth from a single oversized picture book page, carrying with them sparkling new Hermès creations. In this way, they also herald the arrival of spring. This is a simple window, crafted from a solitary sheet of paper. The expressions of the dwarfs overflow with vitality. In combination with the colorful Hermès products, they brilliantly light up the window, encouraging passersby to recall their own personal “tales” of springtime.

Alfredo Haeberli
Born in 1964 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Alfredo Häberli later immigrated to Switzerland. There he studied architecture, and subsequently moved into the world of design. Now based in Zurich, Haberli creates a vast range of designs for products, furniture, interiors and other fields, steadily expanding his exploits on a genuine global scale.

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