Design Heads: Creation of Tomorrow

HEAD – Genève, Geneva, 2026
View of Hall 3 at Palexpo: Design Heads 2026 modules and the large DESIGN lettering.

Design Heads: Creation of Tomorrow is an exhibition by HEAD – Genève. It presents some thirty award-winning projects from the school's design prizes, in connection with Art Genève. It shines a light on the prize-winning designers and on the school's partners, who support this talent through their prizes. I designed the scenography for two consecutive editions, in 2025 and 2026.

Black and white photography panels and a sculpture, Design Heads exhibition
Visitors at modules displaying orange-toned images.

The challenge was to design a modular, reusable exhibition system. It had to adapt to very different works: painting, fashion, jewellery, interactive installations, architecture, video games and film.

Hanging clothes and shoes on a Pisoni–lab exhibition module
A lit module and a visitor, Design Heads 2026.
Visitor looking at colourful illustrations, Design Heads exhibition
A visitor in front of a screen showing an animated character.
Front view of a module showing illustrations and books, Design Heads

The answer: 80 linear metres of shop shelving from Migros Vaud, paired with white honeycomb cardboard. This neutral backdrop leaves the works on show plenty of room. With my team, I designed five types of modules, easy to assemble, reconfigure and store from one edition to the next.

Module with a laptop and printed textile, in low light
A visitor reading the information on a lectern module.
Photograph of a hand and a stack of bowls, on a lit module
A module with a video screen, a visitor seated in front of it.
Red and silver costumes displayed on a round plinth.

The first edition took place in January 2025 at Le Cube, on the HEAD – Genève campus.

In January 2026, the exhibition moved to Palexpo, in Hall 3, during Art Genève. I reused the same system. It also hosted a guest exhibition devoted to alumni of the Product Design, Jewellery and Accessories department.

Large screen showing a woman's portrait, Design Heads exhibition
Jackets displayed on the shelves of a module.
Large orange, blue and green panels with DESIGN HEADS lettering, Design Heads 2026.
A module displaying a white house model, with other lit modules behind.

Pisoni–lab creations

For this world, both poetic and functional, I designed the Two Hands and Ten Fingers lamps. Inspired by cardboard folding, these brushed aluminium pieces are folded by hand. They also play a structural role: they hold the walls together. On the same principle, I designed a brushed aluminium wall hook, folded by hand.

White fabric with handwritten words, under a lamp
Lamp hanging above a table displaying models
HEAD Geneva light totem fitted with Pisoni–lab aluminium lamps
Folded aluminium lamps mounted at the top of exhibition panels

Process

Dismantled shelves stored in a crate, ready to be reused
Pallet of dismantled shelves waiting to be reused
Line drawing of a Pisoni–lab exhibition module
3D model of the Design Heads scenography elements
Modular wall prototype in the workshop
Aluminium hanger and hooks on a perforated wall
Hand holding a sketchbook of geometric shapes
Hand-drawn lamp sketches
Paper models of folded lamps
Fabric electrical cables prepared on a workshop table
Making the lamps: stacked aluminium parts in the workshop
Lamp and reflective metal sheet on an exhibition wall
Lit Two Hands and Ten Fingers lamp above a stepladder
Wrapped and stacked Two Hands and Ten Fingers lamps
Team photo during the Design Heads set-up
Two women assembling an exhibition module
Setting up the Design Heads scenography in a large hall
Team photo at the entrance of the Design Heads exhibition

Information

Dates

January 2025 · January 2026

Venues

Le Cube, HEAD – Genève (2025) · Palexpo, Hall 3, Geneva (2026)

Area

1,650 m² (2025) · 1,645 m² (2026)

Client

HEAD – Genève

Context

Art Genève

Type

Exhibition scenography, modular design

Team

Karen Pisoni, Virgil Baruchel, Mathilde Périat, Matthieu Girel, Nadia Rouèche, Dana Masip

Partners

Migros, Arthandlers

Graphic design

Onlab, visual identity (2026)

Curators

Joanna Haefeli (2025) · Lara Grandchamp and Joanna Haefeli (2026)

Photography

Raphaëlle Mueller (2025) · Sylvain Leurent, © HEAD – Genève (2026)

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