Berlin Life

“I think in pictures […] and I notice very quickly whether the image in my head will also work on paper.” Volker Noth (2007)

For many years posters by Noth (born in 1941) have enriched and shaped the cultural landscape in Berlin. Particular mention should be made to his work with the International Film Festival, the Berlinale (a collaboration that would span decades) and the resulting body of posters. He was also commissioned to create advertisements for theatres, museums and other leading Berlin institutions such as the Film Museum Berlin, Berlin Zoo, the German Historical Museum, numerous departments of the State Museums of Prussian Cultural Heritage and Berlin’s Schiller Theater.

His works demonstrate his excellent feel for making an impact. Photography and typography constitute the key elements and are often combined with rich colours to produce surfaces rich in contrast. His works are seldom “loud” and garish but rather bold and colourful, they try to persuade rather than overpower. His personal style reveals the respectful approach he adopts when interpreting a particular topic.

The German Poster Museum in Museum Folkwang now owns the whole collection of Volker Noth posters. We have chosen some 70 from more than 400 posters to present a representative cross-section of his oeuvre. Some of the motifs reveal the path of development from the sketch to the finished poster. The exhibition is complemented by several examples of Volker Noth’s book design.

The show will be accompanied by a catalogue published by Edition Folkwang / Steidl.