Azad Collaborative Design Project
On-going project since 2008
In 2008, Reza Abedini planned a non-commercial design project, a set of collaboration between a selected group of young Iranian graphic designers and Azad Art Gallery in Tehran. According to this idea, one of the designers among the group is supposed to design a poster for the bi-weekly events of the gallery. The catalog of the exhibition is printed on the backside of the poster. This poster/catalog is then folded and sent to the public as an invitation. This project has been running under the art direction of Aria Kasaei and coordination of Studio Kargah since then.
Azad Collaborative Design Project is significant in its reputation by holding various approaches and aspects:
—During the past 9 years, 45 designers have collaborated with this project and more than 300 posters have been designed, printed and distributed which is definitely an exceptional record from a private gallery.
—Azad Art Gallery possesses a bold and uncompromising view, which is its landmark. The gallery has intended to juxtapose these posters besides the exhibits to reflect gallery’s social/political point of view. So the posters are a part of gallery’s identity in this case.
—The continuity of this project has eventually drawn the attention of many other galleries, private and public cultural organizations in Iran to the importance of visual identity and led them to start their cooperation with graphic designers in this field.
—The most notable aspect of the project is that the poster is not restricted to present only one artwork from the artist. It depicts the designer’s visual interpretation of the theme or the concept of the exhibition, which means the poster itself, becomes a form of artistic expression.
Azad Collaborative Design Project has established an enormous impact on poster design in region and has found its place in contemporary art and design scene in recent years.
Opening hours: 9.00—13.00 / 16.00—20.00