In the Spring of 2020, we have been under the full force of the attacks of a new invisible enemy and must face it all together. Apart from limitin contacts, there is a very simple object which make possible to avoid the transmission of the virus from one person to another: the protective mask. A simple object strongly influenced by medical culture but terribly anxiety-provoking and sad.

To bounce back and offer a strong response from the Swiss creative industry, HyperAktiv.li invited their industrial and product designer colleagues to reinterpret the design of this key artefact, and to propose a design that goes in the direction of excellence, innovation, cutting-edge aesthetics, avant-garde support and ingenious functionality.

The brief was completely open and the interpretations were free, an opportunity to showcase the know-how of Swiss designers. There were no technical, material or industrial reality constraints. Despite the sensitive subject, the 37 creations by 41 designers were able to restore strong values and overcome the sinister dimension of the object by the force of design, poetry and concept.