Brno is alive with graphic design, the 22nd International Biennale has begun

Brno - Brno will today transform into a metropolis of world graphic design, which will last until mid-October. The 22nd edition of the International Biennial of Graphic Design lasts exactly that long, and it will be ceremoniously opened this afternoon. The biennial includes an extensive exhibition of graphic works from around the world, a symposium of renowned designers and artists, a competitive showcase, and a number of accompanying exhibition events in Brno's museums and galleries.
This year, about 700 authors entered the competition with three thousand works. While the winner of the grand prize of the biennial will be officially announced at 5:00 PM, the jury has already revealed the other laureates. "The International Prize for Design was awarded to Martin Woodtli from Switzerland, the main prize in the poster category went to Shigeo Okamoto from Japan. The main prize in the category of corporate, informational, and advertising graphics was not awarded," said American jury chair J. Abbot Miller to journalists today. According to Miller, no sufficiently striking, creative, and original work was found in the latter-mentioned category. By not awarding the prize, we want to encourage creators to be more creative, stated Miller.
The Icograda Prize will be taken home from Brno by Chinese Pazu Lee Ka Ling, and the Union of Fine Arts of the Czech Republic awarded Michel Bouvet from France. Another of the secondary honors, the TypoDesignClub Prague award, will stay in the Czech Republic, going to the local author Tomáš Brousil.
The Brno exhibition, along with the Warsaw one, is the oldest biennial of graphic design in the world, held regularly since 1963. According to representatives of the Moravian Gallery, it is also the most significant biennial in the field. "The Brno biennial is exceptional in that it does not only focus on poster design," said curator Marta Sylvestrová from the Moravian Gallery.
According to the director of the Moravian Gallery, Marek Pokorný, visiting the exhibitions at Pražák Palace, the Governor's Palace, the Museum of Applied Arts, or the Design Center is worthwhile even for laypeople interested in design. "The biennial offers a relatively precise map of what graphic design looks like in the world today, how it is thought of in different countries," said Pokorný.