Our sixth Standing-Room Only Lecture will have us looking closely at one of the high points of twentieth-century graphic design. In 1966, the German graphic designer Otl Aicher was commissioned by the organizers of the 1972 Munich Olympics to create a comprehensive visual identity for the Games. The result was a system of colorful graphics that animated a wide variety of media—from tickets and signage to cafeteria napkins and key chains. The talk will examine Aicher’s innovative designs within the larger context of the 1972 Olympic Games and the Cold War politics in which they were staged.

Our speaker, Matthew Gin, is a PhD candidate at the Harvard Graduate School of Design studying architecture and urbanism in the 18th and 19th centuries, and an expert in turning architect-speak into comprehensible English.

Tickets

Alas, tickets for this event are no longer available.

Date and Time
Wednesday, October 23 at 7p
Doors open at 6p for mingling.

Place
Katherine Small Gallery
108 Beacon Street
Somerville, MA 02143 [map]

Standing-Room Only Lectures aim to present short talks about graphic design, typography, and collecting. The lectures are kept to about twenty minutes because—true to its name—the series takes place in our standing-room only gallery. So, wear comfortable shoes and bring a short attention span.

*We will be checking ticket reservations at the door. Don’t bother printing your ticket as we can look you up by name. We will have a stand-by line at the door for this event. Five minutes before the event begins, we will open up the event to those in the stand-by line on a first-come, first-served basis. If you have reserved a ticket for this event, please note that it will guarantee your place until 6:55 pm on October 23. Five minutes before the event begins, we will open up the event to those in the stand-by line.