Ways into Being
For the fifth time, REFRESH x Fantoche was part of the International Animation Film Festival in Baden. Around 800 visitors discovered works at the intersection of design, art and technology at the Stanzerei from 2 to 6 September 2026.
What happens when a game, installation or video comes to life and interacts with its surroundings like a living being? This year's exhibition, «REFRESH x Fantoche. Ways into Being.», invited visitors to experience precisely that.
Walls lined with iPads emitting snores and grumbles: in the playful installation «Sleeping Giant» by students Sebastian Winter, Ginamarco Di Vincenzo and Asya Fischer, created as part of the Digital Play minor, visitors approached a sleeping giant with a mixture of gentle caution and wonder.
How a robot drifting on an ice floe can simultaneously evoke a sense of unease, fascination and care in its audience – and why this is essential to contemporary discourse around robotics – was impressively demonstrated by the Swiss artist duo AATB in their first interactive video work.
The simulation game «Everything» quickly became a firm favourite with visitors. In the game by internationally renowned media artist David OReilly, the question «What if?» is taken literally: players can embody anything they encounter – from a blade of grass and a ladybird to the Milky Way. The scenes, which veer into the absurd while retaining philosophical depth, sparked conversations among exhibition visitors.
Talks, tours and insights
The well-attended guided tours offered deeper insights into the curation and design processes behind the individual works, and invited visitors to discuss the themes explored. The tours for school classes were particularly well received this year.
At the artist talk «Big Players», Andrea Anner and Thibault Brevet offered insights into their studio AATB, which works in the field of non-industrial robotics. They encouraged the audience to embrace «hacking», «out-of-the-box thinking» and humour when engaging with machines and technological systems.
With a successful mix of national talent and international artists, REFRESH once again enriched the Fantoche animation film festival this year. How does digital work create the impression of a life of its own? Why is it essential to remain critical of technological developments? And how can the arts and design actively and positively shape the discourse around technological progress?
The fifth edition of REFRESH x Fantoche offered food for thought and encouraged self-reflection. At the same time, it fostered interdisciplinary exchange and demonstrated the importance of community, empathy and a spirit of experimentation when addressing the pressing issues of our time.
REFRESH and Fantoche Film Festival collaboration
The long-standing collaboration between REFRESH and Fantoche demonstrates the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration between artists and designers. It also provides design students with accessible opportunities to connect with international animation filmmakers. REFRESH is a collaboration between the ZHdK Departement of Design and the Immersive Art Space.
