Celebrating posters as an artform

Celebrating creativity in graphic design and poster art is what the 2^nd Cyprus Poster Triennial has been doing since the exhibition opened at SPEL State Gallery in late June. With many more dates left to visit it, as the exhibition will be on until October 8, the triennial is an event of significant importance for the Cypriot art scene with almost 100 selected participating artists.

Following an open call in early 2022, an 11-member jury worked through the applications to select the artists for the triennial’s second edition. This year, the exhibition had seven thematic areas artists could focus on; social or political, the art of the spectacle, advertising, unpublished posters, borders, multilingual posters and an homage to Hermann Zapf and typographic dingbats.

“The international Cyprus Poster Triennial,” Evripides Zantides, Omiros Panayides and Savvas Xinaris, visionaries and founders of the Cyprus Poster Triennial, said in a statement, “is to be a non-profit institution that aims to promote and disseminate knowledge and creativity in the field of graphic design by focusing on the poster as a major medium of visual communication.”

They referred to the long history of the artform, from the early printing of broadsides in the beginning of the 19th century to the digital era we are currently in. The role of posters has been great. Organisers explained they have been influential not only as vehicles to provide information but also as tools responsible for social change, developing awareness on crucial issues and dissemination of revolutionary or political ideas and propaganda.

“The aspiration of the Cyprus Poster Triennial,” they added, “is to establish a graphic design event in the Mediterranean at a place that, on the one hand, can function as a bridge between East and West, and on the other, can bring together designers from all over the world with a variety of perspectives to meet and celebrate the wondrous power of the graphic poster.

“Exceeding all expectations, we have received more than 1300 poster submissions from 48 different countries. The creative individuals – emerging talents, as well as established professionals in the field of graphic design – whose posters have been selected, brilliantly emphasise the strength and importance of the poster as a medium.”

2^nd Cyprus Poster Triennial

International exhibition following an open call. Until October 8. SPEL State Gallery, Nicosia. Tuesday-Friday: 10am-6pm and Saturday: 11am-7pm. Tel: 22-479600. www.cpt.com.cy