PMQ and the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Hong Kong are proud to present  "Posterized: Warsaw International Poster Biennale in Hong Kong". The exhibition will be held with support from the honorary patron, Poster Museum in Wilanów (a division of the National Museum in Warsaw), the President of the International Poster Biennale in Warsaw, and International Poster Biennale organizers ASP Warsaw and STGU.

The exhibition brings 50 years of award-winning works from the legendary Biennale to  Hong Kong for the very first time. An artistic feast, it is scheduled to run from 19 March to  6 April at the QUBE at PMQ. It offers an opportunity to foster the appreciation of poster  art by showcasing an extensive collection of international masterpieces for the first time  at the heart of Hong Kong.
 

A sequel to the “Posterized. Poster Art from Poland” exhibition of 2018, the upcoming
exhibition reflects PMQ and the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Hong  Kong’s dedication to the art and culture of posters. While the first “Posterized” shone a  spotlight on the most influential Polish poster artists and featured a series of works  created especially for the event as a tribute to Hong Kong, the upcoming exhibition  serves as a monumental retrospective of the prestigious Biennale. It boasts a selection of  more than 140 award-winning masterpieces from 26 editions of the event, spanning over  five decades. 

The exhibition presents works from more than 120 designers from 23 countries and
regions, including key figures from the Polish Poster School such as Henryk  Tomaszewski, Jan Lenica and Waldemar Świerzy; Japanese design masters such as  Kazumasa Nagai, Yusaku Kamekura, Shigeo Fukuda and Ikko Tanaka; Pop Art icon Andy  Warhol; and cutting-edge French design collective GRAPUS.

A collaboration between Hong Kong and Poland  Agnieszka Mori (Aga), co-curator of the exhibition, stated: “The exhibition ‘Posterized:  Warsaw International Poster Biennale in Hong Kong’ is undoubtedly an important review  of achievements in worldwide poster design. By emphasizing categories rather than  production dates, the exhibition focuses on the questions: What is a poster? Where is it  going? How does it evolve? By looking back to half a century ago, we can see that the  posters haven’t lost any power over time, and have become even more relevant today.”  Aga, a Polish visual artist and curator based in Hong Kong, together with Max Skorwider,  a visual artist, curator and professor based in Poznan, have joined forces once again with  the generous support of Professor Lech Majewski, President of International Poster  Biennale in Warsaw, to curate the exhibition. Departing from the conventional curatorial  method of a chronological display, the two curators chose to showcase the works by  following the Biennale’s tradition of award categories: Ideological, Culture and  Advertising. This highlights the vital artistic and societal roles posters played in advancing  new ideologies, transcending cultures and fostering communication in different times and  places.

The Biennale’s Hong Kong debut Poland is known for its artistic achievements in posters, giving rise to the influential Polish Poster School movement in the second half of the 20th century and the establishment in  1966 of the International Poster Biennale in Warsaw. The latter is one of the most  historical and prestigious events in the world dedicated to the art of posters. In the half  century following its debut, the Biennale presented the best in poster design and became  an important event for artists of different generations and regions to gather and exchange ideas. The winners, juries and representatives of the International Poster Biennale constitute a galaxy of prominent figures in graphic design, including Henryk
Tomaszewski, Andy Warhol and Kazumasa Nagai. “Posterized” offers Hong Kong  audiences a rare opportunity to experience the power of these masterpieces first-hand.

A variety of engagement programs will be hosted concurrently with the exhibition,  including online Polish curator and designer talks, movie screening, school tours and  curator tours. There will also be a DIY free-flow workshop that allows participants to  design their own mini-posters or button badges to take home.  “Posterized: Warsaw International Poster Biennale in Hong Kong” is the largest and  most comprehensive selection of awarded works from the legendary International Poster  Biennale ever to be showcased outside Warsaw. A landmark retrospective, the exhibition maps out the development of posters over the last half century. The last time International Poster Biennale showed in Asia was in 2007, when its first-prize works were exhibited at the iconic ggg gallery in Ginza, Tokyo.