focus, a conversation with Irma Boomfocus, a conversation with Irma Boom

This evening will celebrate and interrogate the work of Irma Boom. Boom is one of the Netherlands' most prominent graphic designers, known for her adventurous book projects that take the printed object to (and sometimes almost over) the edges of its industrial, editorial, and aesthetic possibilities.

In decades of practice, Boom has been developing a body of work that is at once staggeringly focused and visually mesmerizing. In dialogue with Daniel van der Velden, co-founder of Metahaven, Boom will unpack notions of process, attention, concentration, density, typography, and objecthood that are central to her practice. She will bring many of her books along for the talk.

Irma Boom is a graphic designer who specializes in making books. Her unique designs have earned her numerous awards, and SHV 1896-1996, the 11-cm-thick anniversary book she created in 1996 for SHV Holdings, is an icon of Dutch Design. For Boom, design is a matter of experimentation and a constant quest for innovation in form, structure and content. Her aim is to maintain and further develop the vitality of the printed book. She complements her call for a 'renaissance of the book' with clear ideas about the specific power of digital media. After graduating from the AKI Art Academy in Enschede, Boom worked for five years at the Dutch Government Publishing and Printing Office. In 1991 she founded Irma Boom Office, which works nationally and internationally for both cultural and commercial clients, among them Rem Koolhaas and his office OMA. Boom has taught at Yale University since 1992. She has received numerous awards, including the Johannes Vermeer Award 2014. In addition, her work is represented in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York and the Centre Pompidou in Paris.

Join us for a special dinner with the speakers at 18.30 hours, before the Thursday Night event. Prepared with fresh, organic products, dinner is served in Het Nieuwe Café and costs ¬17.50, including drinks. Make sure you reserve a seat at least a day in advance.