Same Bold Stories?
Type Design by Women and Queers in the 20th and 21st Centuries
The Klingspor Museum’s latest exhibition Same Bold Stories? uncovers the hidden narratives of women and queer individuals in type design. Running from July 20th to November 24th, 2024, this exhibition reveals the contributions of those who have long been overshadowed in a field traditionally dominated by men.
For years, the history of type design was largely told from a male perspective, overlooking the significant work of women like Anna Simons, Erika Giovanna Klien, and Gudrun Zapf-von Hesse. Within the museum’s collection, the works of Elizabeth Friedländer, Ilse Schüle, and Anna Maria Schildbach, among others, are now being brought to the forefront. These designers, along with numerous students from Rudolf von Larisch’s and Rudolf Koch’s classes, are receiving long-overdue recognition.
Same Bold Stories? bridges historical contributions with contemporary innovations by FLINTA* (female, lesbian, inter*, trans*, and agender) designers. Émilie Aurat, Jin-Hoo Park, Golnar Kat-Rahmani, and Nat Pyper are among the many names shaping today’s international type scene. These designers challenge traditional norms, blending craft and art, and sparking new ways of thinking about type design and typography.
The exhibition presents a tapestry of interwoven historical and contemporary perspectives, embodying a “messy history” approach. It acknowledges that historiography is rarely complete and aims to shed light on the fragments that form a fuller, richer picture of type design’s evolution. By placing different perspectives side by side, the exhibition invites viewers to reinterpret history through a more inclusive lens.
Accompanying the exhibition is a book, set to release on August 23rd, featuring essays and interviews with contemporary figures like ALT.tf, Nadine Chahine, Katharina Koch, Laura Meseguer, and Teal Triggs. This publication offers deeper insights into the theoretical aspects of the exhibited works, emphasizing the ongoing dialog in type design historiography.
Developed in collaboration with the design studio turbo type and the feminist collective +FEM, and sponsored by the Kulturfonds FrankfurtRheinMain, Same Bold Stories? is more than an exhibition. It is a reimagining of type design’s narrative, honoring the creativity and influence of women and queer designers who have shaped the field. The Klingspor Museum invites visitors to explore these untold stories and celebrate the diverse voices that continue to redefine type design.
Same Bold Stories?—Type Design by Women and Queers in the 20th and 21st Centuries
When?
July, 20th to November 24th, 2024
Where?
Klingspor Museum
Herrnstraße 80
63065 Offenbach am Main
