Florian Graf: School Models

Features artist Florian Graf’s playful yet thought-provoking public art project.

Swiss artist Florian Graf conceived his School Models art project for the public space in the city of Zurich. Situated within the schoolyard of a public secondary school, it is comprised of models of three buildings on the campus, each representing a period of architectural history. Graf’s white limestone sculptures of 1:20 scale are supported by oversized, multi-colored Terrazzo toy blocks. Students are invited to view their school buildings in entirely new ways, such as seating or as meeting places. The interplay of proportions between oversized blocks and miniature school buildings, as well as the actual school buildings used as a backdrop, prompts a re-evaluation of the underlying power dynamics and interpretations that shape educational systems.

This book documents a unique public art project that evokes interaction through images and supplementing texts. It illuminates key terms such as education, model, collaboration, and resonance. The book also invites a reflection on the evolution of education and its institutions over time.

Florian Graf is a Basel-based Swiss-German artist.