The exhibition for the competition 100 Best Posters. Germany, Austria, Switzerland showcases the latest in graphic design each year, with a special focus on the cultural poster. The winning posters of 2024 will be on display at Berlin’s Kulturforum for three weeks from 13 June 2025, before going on an international tour. Admission is free of charge.

The year 2024 presents itself with a strong artistic orientation in graphic design and plenty of courage to embrace graphic minimalism, surreal elements and visual ciphers. In their imagery, 100 Best Posters are full of visual surprises: An opera kiss is cast in concrete with AI, an electronics festival shows itself in colourful modelling clay, and a broccoli tree promotes open-air concerts. Yet it is the lettering that makes the most striking appearance, emerging as a creative force of immense expressiveness and diversity.

Jury Selection

The 100 posters and series exhibited from this year’s competition were selected from 2509 posters submitted by 711 entrants. The five-member international jury for the 100 Best Posters competition, which has existed in its present form since 2001, changes each year. This time it comprised Adeline Mollard (Zurich), Anouk Rehorek (Studio Anouk Rehorek, Vienna), Hans Günter Schmitz (schmitz Visuelle Kommunikation, Wuppertal), Stephanie Specht (Specht Studio, Antwerp), and Jonas Wandeler (Atlas Studio, Zurich).

The Visual Cosmos of Letters

In 100 Best Posters 24, lettering is much more than just a source of information – serving rather as an entire cosmos of visual communication. Letters shout out loudly or simulate sounds, tell stories or convey feelings, trace delicate sequences of dynamic movements or form outlines. Hand-drawn, one-of-a-kind lettering enters into dialogue with an impressive range of fonts; typography reflects the singular character of individual events; and the imperfect takes on a new significance.

Photo Stories, Art Techniques and Recycling

Artistic qualities are also to be found in the media and techniques of graphic design. Photographs are combined in pairs or sequences to create film-like narratives. One poster is based on a cyanotype; another evokes embossing on fragile white ceramic. Achieving sustainability in design is also an important topic, for example by using old posters as printing material or laying out posters in A4 modules for self-printing. A poster campaign against homeless people freezing to death is printed on ISO rescue blankets that can be taken down and used.

Club Connection

Electronic music features more prominently in the 100 Best Posters 24 than in previous years, with club nights, electronic festivals and event series being advertised. The scene’s diversity and networking is reflected in the graphic design, from retro collages to expressive, colourful computer drawings.

The exhibition at the Kulturformum is organised by the Graphic Design Collection of the Kunstbibliothek – Staatliche Museen zu Berlin.

After Berlin, 100 Best Posters will go on tour from July 2025 in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, as well as Korea, the Republic of Moldova and Romania.

Exhibition Publication

The 100 Best Posters 24 yearbook (designed by Tristesse, Basel) with all the award-winning works is being published to accompany the exhibition at the Berlin Kulturforum.

Further information and an overview of the 100 selected posters: 100-beste-plakate.de

Events

A series of public events will take place at the Kulturforum as part of the exhibition: Designers present their newly prize-winning posters in dialogue-based tours; a “Nah dran!” evening looks back to the 2000s; and a panel discussion focuses on pop and protest in contemporary poster design. Admission is free of charge.

A special presentation of the Kunstbibliothek – Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, in collaboration with 100 Beste Plakate e. V.