The Poster. An exhibition in Hamburg
Even though digital media play an increasingly important role in advertising and marketing and digital devices are used in almost every area of life and work, anybody wanting to attract attention in public spaces still relies on the poster. The poster is where art, history, design and advertising come together. Posters are a conspicuous aspect of political events and are just as much a part of film and theatre history. They document social developments, and they also reflect how artistic styles evolve over time. Election posters feature portraits of politicians, and concert posters feature bands and musicians. They are used in industry to promote new products, and in tourism to tempt us to the most beautiful destinations. Even websites now use posters to advertise. To this day, no other art genre has been present in our everyday lives in such a wide variety of ways. The Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg (MKG) houses one of the most extensive collections of posters. It has created an exhibition around this collection entitled The Poster. 200 Years of Art and History, which will be on display from 28 February to 20 September 2020. The exhibition provides a large and representative overview of the history of the poster, from its beginnings in the early 19th century through to the present day. The exhibition consists of 400 examples, from the rise of the picture poster in around 1830 to the Art Deco and Pop Art eras, right up to current times.
