The results of the competition for the 100 best posters of the year are going on display at the Kulturforum for the ninth time in the competition's history. In association with the society '100 Beste Plakate e.V.', the Kunstbibliothek now presents the 100 posters selected by an independent jury from the year 2014. Since 2013, the jury members have been pooled from territories across Europe and not just from German-speaking countries. This year the jury comprised Philippe Apeloig (Paris), Christof Nardin (Vienna), Jiri Oplatek (Basel), Ariane Spanier (Berlin), Prof. Nicolaus Ott (Berlin), and Richard van der Laken (Amsterdam). The more inclusive jury has led to the competition, which is limited to the countries of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, gaining greater international attention outside these three countries. As in previous years, the featured posters essentially stem from three categories: commercial advertising (A), posters designed by their makers for their own purposes (B), posters by university students realized as part of coursework (C).

The creative diversity on show this year again makes clear that the medium of the poster, often given up for dead, is very much alive and flourishing. The Kunstbibliothek has collected posters since the late 19th century and its collecting activities focus not merely on the artefacts of historical advertising, but on the present day. The collection continues to seek out examples of good graphic design, collecting criteria that are shared by the contest itself, which is now in its 49th year. The competition's aim of promoting good design and raising its public profile through a touring exhibition is a conscious challenge to the flood of banal advertising images that threatens to undermine a whole profession. As in previous years, Berlin is the launch-pad of this now-acclaimed show, which will tour to Essen, Graz, Dornbirn, Vienna, Munich, and Lucerne.

Presented by: the Kunstbibliothek, in association with 100 Beste Plakate e.V.

More information at www.100-beste-plakate.de