The drawers of our storage depots are filled with fascinating works Only a fraction of the more than 400,000 items in the Graphics and Poster Collection can be exhibited, and the same holds for the East Asia Collection. That gave rise to the idea of the Drawer Displays' in rapid succession, we are presenting a selection of various objects related to a specific theme. This time, the unifying element is geometry. On view on the 2nd floor.

Especially in German-speaking countries, geometric shapes are generally regarded as rational, objective and clear. They are associated with modernist design in the tradition of the Bauhaus, with straightforward and unambiguous communication. But geometric forms can do much more. In the posters, ornamental engravings, katagami, woodcuts and typography shown here, geometric shapes find very different uses. They draw attention to political grievances, advertise cultural events, form the basis of lettering or create visual stimuli. So called katagami, Japanese paper stencils for textile printing, generate endless patterns from the repetition of geometric shapes. Together with posters, they afford new perspectives on triangles, circles and squares. The selection of posters, graphics and stencils illustrates how geometry is not merely objective, but also poetic, material-oriented, ambiguous, multilayered, refined and political – an elemental component of graphic design.

On the occasion of the war of aggression against Ukraine, the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe (MK&G) is setting a small sign of solidarity and for peace. From 8 April 2022, posters and photographs are displayed throughout the museum that in one way or another deal with the desire for peace and the country of Ukraine. The works are by internationally renowned artists from the museum's collection, such as Yoko Ono, Klaus Staeck and Rita Ostrovska. In addition, contemporary protest posters by Polish designers are on display that relate directly to the war in Ukraine. These posters are available for download and self-print. All the works are marked with the hashtag "peace" as a visible sign and reminder of this situation in the middle of Europe, which is as unreal as it is real. In addition, two façade banners take up the message of peace and transport it into the urban society.