Stankowski + Duschek Studio. An exhibition in Berlin
Brand development, corporate identity, advertising and infographics – all this was part of Stankowski + Duschek’s core business for five decades. Only a very few graphic design firms were able to shape the visual appearance of companies and institutions in Germany in this way during the latter half of the 20th century. Not only did the dynamic “slash in the square” become known the world over as Deutsche Bank’s trademark, the studio in Stuttgart also gave birth to logos and complete image makeovers for SEL, the Deutscher Werkbund, the German Design Council, Viessmann, Messe Frankfurt, the Deutsche Börse and many more. As Stankowski put it in 1978, “Signs are visual telegrams, similar to flags.” Not only did Anton Stankowski (1906 to 1998) and Karl Duschek (1947 to 2011) share a sophisticated constructive aesthetic of sign systems, they were also both inspired by Concrete Art. With the exhibition Brands:Trademarks. The Stankowski + Duschek Graphic Design Studio, the Kunstbibliothek in Berlin gives us an insight into Stankowski’s own original firm, as well as the development of the joint studio. It shows the working methods of a communication designer before computers – in the form of sketches, executed designs, printed materials and much more. The exhibition will run from 13 March to 28 June 2020. It will also be documented in a newly released book.
