For their second exhibition, the creative space Arcipèlago invites the graphic collective Cabaret Typographie to present some of their most recent creations. An adventure through graphic design, colour and the fascinating technique of letterpress printing. Thirteen posters of Cabaret Typographie will be exhibited along with some boxes and objects designed for Bonvini1909, stationery and historical printing in Milano, where Atelier has a residence.
A meeting with Cabaret Typographie and graphic designer Paolo Tassinari will be organized on the opening day, September 18, at 5pm.
This exhibition enables discovering the printing technique of letterpress: normal form of printing since its invention by Johannes Gutenberg in the 15th century, it has been condemned to obsolescence in the mid-eighties. Yet today, letterpress is facing a real reawakening: in an era of infinite and identical reproductions, it offers the patina and the charm of a unique print, where one can perceive the matter, the ink, and the beauty of the small imperfections.
The letterpress is like diving into a journey through history, one color, one print and one sheet at a time. Analogue printing is such an exciting creative challenge where we rediscover the charm of the tactile and the value of the time spent
explains Charlotte Ménard, co-curator of the exhibition.
Cabaret Typographie based his work on innovative and experimental graphics and intense use of typographic characters as purely graphic elements. In this way, they pay tribute to some of the greatest designers, graphic designers, architects, and artists of the 20th century: Wim Crouwel, the Bauhaus, Marinetti, Carlo Scarpa, Robert Indiana, Fortunato Depero… It is a whole part artistic vanguard that one can discover through their posters.
Research, experimentation, and a hint of craziness are a legacy in our DNA of graphic designers. The work of Cabaret Typographie fits with genius in this great visual adventure, that never ceases to provoke the inventiveness of those who are passionate about the world of letters
— Artemio Croatto, co-curator of the show.
