It's all Graphic #14 Between archive and urgency

IT'S ALL GRAPHIC #14

Between archive and urgency

Wednesday 10-09-2025 @Pakhuis de Zwijger

20:00 - 22:00 hrs

Admission is free, but please register

In recent years, we have seen a striking increase in the number of designers working with archival material, particularly the documentation of protest movements. They not only work with existing archives, but also establish new, alternative archives—often with a distinct editorial and activist approach. In addition, designers are beginning to organize themselves into collectives and rediscovering the power of direct, visual imagery: a form of design that takes a loud and clear stance.

This fascination with activist heritage seems to stem from a mix of social, cultural, and strategic motives. In this edition of 'It’s All Graphic', we explore the relationship between archives and the contemporary visual language of solidarity and activism. How do graphic designers engage with archiving and counter-archiving when addressing current issues? Are we witnessing the emergence of a new, visually rich language of protest, or are we stuck in the language of social unrest that preceded us?

These subjects will take to the stage and insights shared from:

. Marius Schwarz is an independent graphic designer. His approach is characterised by a strong integration of text, image, film, audio, and often working with archival material – with the aim of telling stories that challenge conventions and forge new connections. While seeking ways in which historical material can be brought back to life through design he was responsible for designing the ‘Open Archief’: a project promoting the accessibility of online collections and stimulating the creative reuse of our collective heritage. 

. Farida Sedoc is a visual artist whose activist practice is rooted in community, resistance, and collective action. Inspired by punk, reggae, and hip hop—from which she learned the importance of solidarity—she uses textiles, screen printing, collages, and streetwear as tools to unravel social narratives. While investigating textiles as an archive of colonial history, she continuously seeks out new forms of empowerment, inclusivity and political engagement. 

. Studio Pinopotato is the creative practice of Pauline Wiersema, a social artist and sociologist. Her work is bold, colorful, and thought-provoking—designed to make an impact within seconds. Developing accessible strategies her work results in political campaigns, interactive installations, and visual translations of urgent social issues. While working across disciplines she often collaborates with other makers and experts, aiming to disrupt deep-rooted assumptions and to make way for a fairer and more inclusive future.

. Geke Zaal is an Amsterdam based graphic designer, working independently and in collaboration with artists and culturally involved initiatives. Her work is intrinsically typographic; by treating text as an image she investigates both the legibility and the playfulness of language. She graduated from the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in 2019.

Moderators

. Richard Niessen is a graphic designer known for his colourful posters and expressive typography, and fellow of the Wim Crouwel Instituut in Amsterdam (NL). He initiated The Palace of Typographic Masonry, a collaborative project inviting other designers to celebrate the splendour and variety of visual languages. While conducting workshops and lectures around the world, he teaches at the Royal Academy of Arts in The Hague.

. Kylièn Sarino Bergh is a researcher, writer and practitioner in the field of graphic design. He is a fellow of the Wim Crouwel Instituut in Amsterdam (NL), board member of Zefir7 and lecturer histories and theories of graphic design at the Royal Academy of Arts in The Hague, the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam and the University of Amsterdam.

On the organisers 

It's all Graphic is a series of events on graphic design, addressing its cultural and social impact. It is co-produced between the Wim Crouwel Instituut and Pakhuis de Zwijger, and supported by the NADD (Netwerk Archieven Design en Digitale Cultuur). The Wim Crouwel Institute investigates the heritage, current and future position of Dutch graphic design. The Wim Crouwel Institute is supported by Pictoright Fonds, Cultuurfonds, Allard Pierson, and the Amsterdam University Fund.

Graphic design: Angèle Jaspers