Exhibition

The Palace of Typographic Masonry

22 February – 11 May 2025

Press Conference: Thursday, 20 February 2025, 11 am
Opening: Friday, 21 February 2025, 7 pm

Foto/Photo: Joost van Asch © Graphic Matters

The Palace of Typographic Masonry provides a multi-layered insight into the creative discipline of graphic design: From the fundamentals of the trade and their interplay in compositions and designs to tools, techniques, and conceptual approaches to the professional practice in the shifting sphere of space, time, clients and audiences.

This travelling exhibition by the Dutch graphic designer Richard Niessen showcases graphic design as a poetic and visual force with the ability to shape culture and channel political messages to convey social values and ideals. Richard Niessen reflects on his professional practice by collecting and describing visual artefacts from a wide range of cultures and times. The resulting thematic constellations produce surprisingly new layers of meaning. He also regurlarly invites designers to expand his collection with visual comments.

The exhibition shows contributions by Juan Luis Blanco, Benjamin Mc Millan, Edgar Walthert, Victoria Hoogstoël, Bart de Baets, Team Thursday, Rietlanden Women’s Office, Alex Walker, Cleo Tsw, Lukas Engelhart, Jan Egbers, Justus Gelberg, Richard Niessen, Esther de Vries, Meeus ontwerpt, Harmen Liemburg, Studio Moniker, Rudy Guedj, Joost Grootens, Hackers & Designers, Farah Fayyad, Ott Metusula, William Jacobson, Metahaven, Maureen Mooren and fanfare.

Intelligent minimalism and playfulness characterise the immersive scenography Richard Niessen designed for the exhibition, thus making it the epitome of Dutch graphic design. The Palace of Typographic Masonry is an infinite, imaginary structure he built to represent the variety of visual cultures. Its ever-evolving rooms, wings, corridors, and chambers produce a discursive space which disrupts linear chronologies and opens new perspectives.

Curator: Jonas Deuter

Foto/Photo: Joost van Asch © Graphic Matters

Calendar