Obituary

Irène Rüfenacht passed away on Sunday, 20 October in Winterthur Hospital after a short, serious illness. She co-founded the Association of Photographic Designers in 1996 and was its first president.
 
Irène and her colleagues built up the new association from scratch, creating a platform for creative professional photography in Switzerland. With the vfg Young Talent Award, the vfg Selection and the new photo design job profile, they set new milestones in Switzerland and changed the professional image of photographers in terms of training, professional reality and public perception. 
 
Irène played a major role in all of these developments over the years. Without her, many decisive things would not have happened in the past and we still benefit from her commitment to the profession and its creative possibilities today. Now she has put away her beloved Hasselblad. We can only mourn the loss of a quiet, energetic fighter who was very committed to our beautiful and creative craft.