Helvetica

Screening and Debate with Experimental Jetset

Can typography be political? Helvetica shows that it is not only the content, but also the form, that conveys the message. This film offers a fascinating presentation of the history of this legendary typeface, from its production to its proliferation in public life. For more than 50 years Helvetica has been used to write – and indeed, has written – the history of our relationship to objects and the messages that inhabit public space. The film presents interviews with prestigious designers who reflect on the creative work, the aesthetic discussions and the political repercussions implicit in the use of a typeface.

Experimental Jetset is a small, independent graphic design studio based in Amsterdam, consisting of three persons: Marieke Stolk, Danny van den Dungen and Erwin Brinkers. They often describe graphic design as "turning language into objects".

Activity organised in conjunction with Disseny Hub Barcelona (DHUB) as part of the exhibition Helvetica. A new typeface? that will be on view from 1 December 2009 to 7 February 2010 at DHUB Montcada (Montcada, 12).