Design Basics – On making a poster that makes sense: a Graphic-based dialogue within (a)Bauhaus Context

Kursbeschreibung nur auf Englisch!

Throughout history, posters have played a pivotal role as a medium for communicating with audiences, reflecting narratives of groups and documenting critical political an social transformations. In today’s fast-paced era of communication, where information and news are consumed and recycled at lightning speed, the question arises: how can traditional mediums like posters maintain their relevance and effectiveness in connectin with audiences today? And what is the message or statement that still makes sense, or is worth to create tension or starting a discussion?

This course questions how posters can retain their communicative power, beyond advertising events, festivals or more political campaigns. It examines the potential of posters as tools for personal and collective expression, especially in a world dominated by algorithms, trends, and virtual spaces. Participants will consider these mediums to voice their perceptions, emotions, and positions—beyond the constraints of censorship, publishing policies, and consumer-driven trends.

The course combines hybrid methodologies (analog and digital approaches, private and public realms, and studio and public space practices) to guide participants through the process of poster creation. Participants will translate personal and shared experiences into visual and linguistic elements, crafting aesthetic and poetic graphic expressions. This collaborative process fosters meaningful artistic production, enabling participants to engage with both their inner selves and the public sphere.

Course Components:

• Discussions:
  • Examine relevant socially and politically critical artistic movements such as Imaginary Bauhaus and Situationist Internationale, by addressing the role and reputation of Bauhaus, as a starting point of tensions between political and artistic standpoints and interpretations.
  • And explore the influence of these movements on emerging new role and agency of artist in engaging with sociopolitical issues, and communicating with the public.
• Interventions:
  • Experiment with psychogeography as a strategy to explore the emotional and perceptual impact of urban and public spaces on individuals.
  • Using routes, sceneries from the city of Weimar as visual and conceptual elements to examine and elaborate on the personal negotiations with public as well as with society, influenced by the intercultural background of the participants.
• Hands-On Poster Workshop:
  • Develop and refine individual poster designs that blend textual and visual elements into compelling artistic outputs.
  • Printing posters on paper or fabric by using screen-printing technique.