Ricardo Ferrol reinterprets the work of influential German designer Otl Aicher

1984 is Ricardo Ferrol’s MA thesis project at ECAL. It’s the first part of a fictional exhibition series that unfolds new narratives, explores and re-stages design-related subjects from past to present. “The concept of this ongoing show is to always reinterpret existing ideas to create new approaches to an initial project by a chosen protagonist,” explains Ricardo.

The project is inspired by the work of Otl Aicher, a key figure in German graphic design. He is best known for being one of the founders of Ulm School of Design, his identity for the 1972 Munich Olympic Games and his typeface family, Rotis. Ricardo uncovered the designer’s archival material while working on other projects and decided to reinterpret his work in several ways for this final project.

“Through the exhibition and additional catalogue, I wanted to create a space for curatorial practise, where I could examine how people think about Otl Aicher’s work but re-staged in a more contemporary way,” says Ricardo.

The show focuses on two projects of Aicher’s: a colour and structure manual, which was a base for a series of wrapping papers and an exploration of the typeface Rotis. For both aspects of the project Ricardo collaborated with designers and photographers including Vincent Vrints, Rosario Florio, Johannes Bauer and Francesco Nazardo.

Within 1984 are sleek interpretations of the gift papers and a visual story of the revived typeface. The whole project has been documented beautifully and various techniques have been employed to achieve this high-end finish including perforated pages and silkscreen printing.

“The catalogue is a hybrid narrative in which graphics and images are intercut with one another,” says Ricardo. “I wanted to create a vivid experience when browsing through the catalogue by using different papers, printing and embossing techniques. At the end of the catalogue, the reader can find more information on the projects and Aicher himself.”