Design for Change #1: Graphic Design for GazaDesign for Change #1: Graphic Design for Gaza

Designer Sana Iqbal will present some of the protest posters and other graphic works that have been used to call for peace in the UK and explains the symbolism behind them. She will also show examples of how she uses strategic design for political change. Rasha Dakkak, Head of Graphic Design at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie will share different formats that she uses to create work about Palestine.

Anja Groten heads the Design Department at the Sandberg Instituut. As a co-founder of Hackers & Designers, she will discuss open source design tools and decolonial technology in the collective’s practice and show the work she has created for Forms of (ex-)Change. On the occasion of the Leipzig Book Fair 2024, an eponymous temporary collective of designers and design students was invited by the Nieuwe Instituut to create work around the idea of “change” in the broadest sense of the word. Due to the current political and cultural climate in Germany, this presentation was no longer possible. Instead, the exhibition can be seen at the Nieuwe Instituut until 6 October.

The creation of a graphic message is never a neutral exchange between sender and receiver, as the receiver’s interpretation, bias and personal background all come into play. It is also about inclusion and exclusion, cultural understanding and access. And since the audience has to interpret the work, there is always the risk that the maker’s message will be misunderstood.

This new series of events will explore how design, digital culture and architecture can respond to the pressing humanitarian issues of our time. Through Design for Change, the Nieuwe Instituut provides a platform for designers, architects, digital makers and other cultural practitioners to share knowledge and experience in discussions that offer different perspectives on complex challenges.