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Design Walk: Poles Apart

Open Graphic Design Studios

Exhibition exploring fundamental questions in design methodology, shown across 13 participating studios in Athens’ Acropolis neighbourhood.

Exhibition

Double Decker transformed what had been an Open Studios weekend into an exhibition experience that combined design with the texture of the city. The challenge they issued was to create work inspired by the oppositions or contradictions arising from fundamental questions in design methodology with which every designer is faced, for example empty vs. full, word vs. image and regular vs. bold. The resulting exhibition provided designers with a public platform for artistic experimentation, and visitors with a fresh understanding of the graphic design process – and its curious contradictions.

 

Established in 2008, Design Walk offered the public the chance to familiarise themselves with the every-day work of participating design studios in the Acropolis area.

 

The concept of studios opening their doors to the public was one of the very few graphic design initiatives taking place at that time in Greece, making Design Walk even more significant.

 

After two successful Design Walks the question was how to expand and transform the project into an exhibition event that would continue to attract and engage existing and new audiences.

Participants

3 in a box,
 Bios, 
Designpark, 
StudioG, Geometry, I AM Design etc, 
Indyvisuals, Mums Design, Pi6, Poor Designers, Sereal Designers, The Design Shop,
 The Switch Place Identity

Facts
  • 5 day programme
  • 17 exhibition venues around the Acropolis of Athens
  • 40 contributing graphic designers
  • 35 graphic design student volunteers
  • 4,000 visitors and participants
  • 134 international press articles
  • Exhibition publication prefaced by Ria Hawthorn of The Design Museum, London
Credits

Location: The City of Athens, Greece
Date: February 2010
Curation: Double Decker
Creative Workshops at the Graphic Design Association:
Dimitris Gazis (Busy Building)
Yiannis Kouroudis (k2design)
Media Partners: Best Radio, En Leuko, Radio, Don’t Panic, +design
Press Officer: Wiebke Morgan
Main Sponsor: Bombay Sapphire

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