Kreis! Quadrat! Progress!

Amidst the turmoil of World War II, Zurich was an enclave where modern art held its ground. In the aftermath, Concrete Art, design, and the Swiss Style became emblematic of a modern Switzerland. Influenced by De Stijl, Russian Constructivism, and the Bauhaus, the Zurich Concretists aimed to transform society through aesthetics, design, and architecture. Circle! Square! Progress! brings together the main protagonists Max Bill, Camille Graeser, Verena Loewensberg, and Richard Paul Lohse along with precursors such as Sophie Taeuber-Arp, Geroges Vantongerloo, Theo van Doesburg, and Anton Stankowski. Contemporary witnesses, artist Peter Fischli and curator Bice Curiger, add their unique perspectives. The volume vividly describes the Zurich Concretists conections with European avant-garde, delving into the hostilities, scandals, and their ultimately successful struggle for recognition against the backdrop of the 20th centurys upheavals.

Thomas Haemmerli is a Zurichbased director of film documentaries, journalist, and writer. Brigitte Ulmer is a scholar of history based in Zurich and London who works as a cultural publicist and writer.