This was not the first 100 PosterBattle exhibition we have produced. It was, however, the first to take place in the film studio at FH Dortmund—and the first to be realized as a double exhibition.
The exhibition brought together two distinct bodies of work:
a curated selection of the 150 strongest posters developed during the Winter Semester 2025/26, and 45 flags created as part of a workshop led by Kuki Iwanski (see workshop report), togehter with the class of Prof Markus Lange from TH Nürnberg.
Posters: Designing Against the Default
The posters were united by an unconventional approach to production. Rather than relying on the standard tools of graphic design, most works were created using unfamiliar—or deliberately inappropriate—applications.
Design software comes with built-in assumptions. Working within these defaults often results in predictable visual languages. The project therefore asked a simple question: What happens when we step outside these conventions? What does a poster look like when InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop are set aside, and alternative tools take their place? What visual logic emerges when a gaming application becomes a design tool? These questions formed the formal framework of the poster series—besides everyday news becoming the content.
Flags: Extinct Moments
The flags explored a different thematic focus. The workshop revolved around the notion of “extinct moments”—everyday experiences that have quietly disappeared in an increasingly accelerated and optimized culture. Moments that once felt ordinary have become rare: being unreachable for a while, moving through a city without constant advertising, making decisions without algorithmic influence, speaking face to face without a screen nearby, taking an undocumented holiday, or sustaining friendships that exist entirely offline.
Pop-Up Exhibition
The pop-up exhibition took place on January 20, from 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm.
Upcoming Exhibition
With the support of Dortmund Kreativ, 100 PosterBattle will be presented at Hans C, Hansastr. 6-10, 44137 Dortmund, from February 3 for the duration of one month.
The exhibition will open with a vernissage on February 3 at 6:00 pm.
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