Projects Projects

Prem Krishnamurthy and Adam Michaels founded Projects Projects in 2004. It is a New York based design studio focused mainly on print graphics. The environment and other current debates is a driving force in the many of the group’s projects. They often relay on viewer involvement as a means to engage the public in matters they see as fundamental to current society.

The work above Productive Posters was part of the Kounkuey Design Initiative’s exhibition at the Van Alen Institute in April 2008. Each panel of the poster system features a quotation, case study or supplementary research on participatory planning. Viewers are then invited to become involved in the piece by adding their own ideas or comments on “alternative community action.” With this invitation Projects Projects hands over ownership to the public. Having set the constraints of colour and scale (1 white A4 sheet written on with a black bull-point pen,) they then liberate themselves of all control. It grows conceptual, thematically and also visually, illustrating how the participation of the individual allows for the growth of community.

The New York-based conceptual artist Adam Pendleton commissioned these posters to announce the transition of his solo practice into and art and design collaborative think-tank. The design is simplistic, and the concept sound. It illustrates perfectly the idea of transformation. The bold geometric design confidently fills the page with two shapes, similar in form, but equally unique in their vivid colour and asymmetric shape. When introduced to each other, they form something new while still maintaining their original impact. The process we see taking place in this design is simply a visual representation of the fore coming process Adam Pendleton’s practice will undertake.

Project Projects designed this exhibition at Stroom Den Haag, The Netherlands. The exhibition presents the work of Austrian philosopher, sociologist and economist Otto Neurath (1882–1945), as well as showing Projects Projects own take on the theories of the philosopher. The exhibition explores Neurath’s opinion that the museum of the future ‘might be copied everywhere without loss of value.’ The show appears to agrees with this claim, using printed repetition across the gallery seemingly to celebrate mass production. Publications were also made for visitors to take home. Further more, the content of the exhibition was projected onto the gallery front allowing people that work during the day to witness the work as well further emphasizing the idea communication and distribution.

However, the exhibition juxtaposes these reproductions with fine originals. Seen together, the originals hold a far greater resonance, “they possess a presence and texture that transcends their pure communicative content.” The dialog that is created within the exhibition encourages debate making the exhibition a dynamic and engaging experience. .