Poster-making was orange work: Investigating the history of (anti-capitalist?) graphic design produced within Freetown Christiania, 2024. Núllið Gallery, Reykjavík, Iceland. (DesignMarch)

Project description, methodology and approach

During the month of June of 2023, I lived in the anarchist commune Freetown Christiania, in Copenhagen, Denmark. While there, I kept a journal/sketchbook, took a handful of interviews, visited the Christiania Historic Archives, and wrote about all of my experiences. The main aim for this residency was to document examples of graphic design produced in a non- or anti-capitalistic location and to understand if there are certain markers that make this kind of graphic design different from that produced “under capitalism”.

Coming back to Iceland, I applied for the Iceland University of the Arts Publication Fund and received funding to produce this exhibition catalog to accompany my exhibtion Orange Work.

Context and contribution to the field

Poster-making was orange work is the exhibition catalog which includes an essay and reproductions of posters from the Orange Work. The essay was written during a month-long residency in Freetown Christiania during June 2023. It brings together observations, photographs, and drawings created while in residence. It synthesizes conversations with people who live in this anarchist commune as well as visits to the Christiania Historic Archives to view posters and other printed materials from the 70s until today. It is therefore a kind of a survey of the recent history of intentionally non- or anti-Capitalistic graphic design, in the Nordic context.

Mediation and impact

This exhibition occurred during Iceland’s design festival DesignMarch, 2.-5. april 2024 in Núllið Gallery at Bankastræti 0 in 101 Reykjavík, Iceland.

Collaboration

This research was supported in parts by both Freetown Christiania and Iceland University of the Arts.