Letterpress, exact imperfection.
Exhibition curated by Maria Pina Bentivenga and Mario Rullo.
28 February – 11 March 2022 – RUFA Space, Via degli Ausoni 7, Rome
The eternal magic of Letterpress meets the techniques of art graphics, in a path of research and experimentation of communication languages, able to connect typographic tradition and innovation. An analogue world both in cold typesetting and in the methods used for the visual: the intaglio technique of soft ceramics or the more experimental one of lithography on polyester, which allowed students to immerse themselves in a context that is ancient and modern at the same time.
The recovery of the movable type composition represents the important link between the history of graphic design and contemporary visual design. In the era of the digital revolution, the re-appropriation of manual skills and analog techniques allows visual designers to experiment with new design methodologies and feed self-production paths.
Since 2014 RUFA has held workshops conducted by Maria Pina Bentivenga and Mario Rullo, in which students experiment with crossings between different worlds of the project, with the aim of reinterpreting communicative forms and models and achieving original and non-homologated expressive results. Some editions of the workshop were dedicated to international students of SVA – School of Visual Arts of New York, and through the guidance of Steven Heller, Louise Fili and Lita Talarico, it was possible to combine the experience of Letterpress with the study of Italian typographic history.
The posters in this exhibition show some of the results achieved by the 135 students who participated in the workshops, and document the creative process that had to deal with the concepts of craftsmanship, imperfection and uniqueness.
Look at the images of the workshop
Listen to the curators’ words
Dive into the exhibition
The artworks
