Course title:

Print is (still) not dead

Course description:

This workshop explores manual printing techniques with a focus on screen printing as an experimental tool. In a digital world, we will work completely by hand to rediscover the joy, surprise, and visual power of traditional craftsmanship.
Participants are encouraged to create their own aesthetic approach by developing self-made printing methods, custom tools, or improvised inks. The process is playful and open: testing colours, layers, textures, and embracing imperfections as part of the result.
After exploring this experimental free-flow method and learning about repetition, rhythm, failure, and imperfection, we will arrive at bold visual outcomes that can be further developed into large-scale poster designs, combining handmade printing effects with strong composition and typographic expression.

Bio:

Björn Wiede (born 1981) is a graphic designer, printmaker, and publisher based in Berlin, Germany. He studied at the University of the Arts Berlin under Professors Melk Imboden and Fons Hickmann, receiving a diploma in Visual Communication. His practice is driven by a puristic approach, a focus on technical finesse, and an ongoing interest in experimental processes. He has been a member of Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI) since 2016.
While his studies he got in touch with Stefan Guzy, which leads to their collaboration as Studio Zwölf, working for clients from the fields of art, music, and culture. Especially their poster designs are characterized by a quite minimal, predominantly typographic language, strongly informed by their production processes. The work of Zwölf received numerous national and international awards and is part of several public collections. In 2010, the exploration of experimental printing techniques led to the founding of Handsiebdruckerei, a fine art screen-printing studio that collaborates closely with artists. In 2020, they expanded their practice by establishing the publishing house Handsiebdruckerei Editionen, focused on contemporary silkscreen artist editions.
Alongside his design and printing practice, Wiede has held workshops at institutions including the University of Fine Arts Hamburg, Folkwang University of the Arts Essen, Düsseldorf University of Applied Sciences, the State Academy of Fine Arts Stuttgart, the École nationale supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in Paris and at AGI Open in Rotterdam.