Music Geneva artist Rylsee designs poster for Montreux Jazz Festival

The official poster for the 58th Montreux Jazz Festival (MJF) was designed by Geneva artist Rylsee. With its wealth of detail, its design is reminiscent of a hidden object picture.

Rylsee is "the first" to focus on the visitors and the way in which this major festival takes over the city, according to an MJF press release on Wednesday. The work captures "the excitement of a crazy evening at the MJF by focusing on the festival-goers and their stories". Rylsee has populated the poster with numerous scenes from everyday life at the festival.

"For me, the Montreux Jazz Festival is like a short-lived city," the artist is quoted as saying in the press release. The city is built up over a few weeks and then no longer exists for the rest of the year. And what remains are memories and shared dreams.

Rylsee's real name is Cyril Vouilloz. He comes from Geneva and lives in Berlin. His artistic spectrum ranges from graffiti, graphic design and hand lettering to an avant-garde type of typography. He draws inspiration from everyday moments, the city and his passion for skateboarding.

Own festival architecture

For the 58th edition of the Jazz Festival, Rylsee has designed his own festival architecture, built around the initials 'MJF'. You have to look closely to spot the distinctive features of Montreux, such as the lake with its quays, the promenade with its palm trees and the Palace. These places are populated by hundreds of festival-goers, each with their own experiences.

The MJF has commissioned Swiss and international artists to design the official poster since 1967. During this time, a line-up of well-known names has come together: Jean Tinguely, for example, who delivered such an impressive design in 1982 that it subsequently became the festival's logo; or Keith Haring, who presented three versions in 1983 and teamed up with Andy Warhol in 1986. David Bowie, Yoann Lemoine (Woodkidti), Malika Favre, Christian Marclay, Ignasi Monreal, JR and Camille Walala have also taken part.

The 58th MJF will take place from July 5 to 20, 2024.