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Advertising in Southern Laos
Been there, Don Det
The region of the Si Phan Don in southern Laos can, with little exaggeration, be described as the very end of the world. Of the countless islands scattered across this stretch of the Mekong, only a few are inhabited, and a mere three have seen any degree of tourist development. The electrification of the islands has brought with it a modest prosperity—alongside a steady flow of visitors. Where competition emerges, so too does the impulse to advertise.
Awnings as Advertising Space
Extreme Scale 3D-Typography
In Ho Chi Minh City, the prolific use of awnings as advertising surfaces is a defining feature of the urban landscape. Smaller shops and restaurants, in particular, make use of these large-format displays to attract attention, often prominently presenting the house number in oversized numerals.
Poetic overlays in Kolkata
Stick no bills!
Kolkata, the capital of Bengal, is considered the intellectual centre of India. Its inhabitants are known for their passion for politics and their affinity for art and literature. The city’s cultural offer is correspondingly large. This is also reflected in the street scene: literally from every wall, political slogans, local services, film posters and other messages compete for the attention of passers-by.
In the Museum Depot
A Visit to the Prater Whale
The inn Zum Walfisch, founded as early as 1782, was a true Prater institution and, for generations, a cherished destination for Viennese patrons. Above its entrance, a nine-metre-long whale—installed in the early 1950s—delighted visitors with its playful water fountain, captivating not least the younger among them. In 2013, however, the restaurant closed its doors, and with it seemed to come the end of the whale.
The Verein Stadtschrift in Vienna
The Typographic DNA of the City
Television repair, photographic studios, taverns: not only the design of the lettering itself, but also the services once advertised by these signs now appear curiously antiquated. Yet it is neither nostalgia nor a longing for a “better past” that motivates the association Stadtschrift, which collects, preserves, and reintroduces these Viennese signages into the public realm.
Alone in the Wiener Prater
Lockdown in the Amusement Park
Vienna’s Prater looks back on more than 250 years as a place of recreation on the city’s doorstep. The Wurstelprater in particular, with its array of attractions, has long been a favoured destination for Viennese families and a place of longing for generations of children. In spring, the Prater enters its high season, when tourists and local families alike crowd around its stalls. In April 2020, however, everything was different. During the first lockdown, the deserted Prater revealed itself as both captivating and eerily uncanny.
Design in Motion at Amsterdam Centraal
The Beginnings of the Demo Festival
On 7 November 2019, the usual flow of commuters at Amsterdam Centraal Station was joined by conspicuous clusters of young people, many of them filming on their iPhones. Design enthusiasts from across Europe had gathered for Design in Motion, a festival initiated by Studio Dumbar. It marked the inception of what has since grown into the world’s largest festival dedicated to motion design.
Museum Documentary
The Remarkable Rescue of a Historic Advertising Wall
In 2019, the Vienna Museum commissioned us to document the removal of a historic advertising wall on Favoritenstraße. Over the course of the week-long filming, a quiet tension accompanied the entire team, as uncertainty lingered over whether the severely deteriorated wall could, in fact, be preserved.