Hyperakt, the Brooklyn-based design studio, has been invited to exhibit its political posters and socially engaged art work at Geneva, Switzerland's Flux Laboratory art gallery. The show, entitled "The New Hope," will open November 1, 2008 and run until November 17, 2008. Inspired by the message of change promised by the Obama campaign, the studio's work harks back to the heady days of 1960s political posters, and their bold, graphic call to action.
As Hyperakt co-founder and creative director Deroy Peraza explains, "Obama has made politics exciting for people who generally are cynical or uninterested. His oratorical skills have moved masses and, in the process, inspired us at Hyperakt and many other artists and designers to celebrate this movement. The man has become an icon for hope and change, and that's what we wanted to convey."
A poster designed by Peraza, one of several Hyperakt pieces, was recently included in an exhibition at the Manifest Hope gallery in Denver which was shown during the Democratic national convention. The poster, which spotlights an iconic Obama and the phrase "The New Hope," is gaining widespread attention on the web. It was published in the international news magazine Courrier International, has appeared on fan sites as wallpapers and has been repurposed to support fund-raising events.
As a result of the media coverage of the Denver show, Hyperakt was contacted by Flux Laboratory founder Cynthia Odier, who offered to show the studio's work in a section of the gallery called The Dark Room. A special 1,000 square foot space painted entirely in black, Flux Laboratory's Dark Room is dedicated to new, experimental, boundary-pushing art. The Dark Room is at the heart of Flux Laboratory's mission, which is focused on designers and artists working at the intersection of culture, new media, fashion and the arts.
Odier says she was motivated to offer the first exhibition of Hyperakt's work as a way of expressing European concern about the American dream. "Switzerland is a small, conservative country, and this show is an expression of the need to connect with artistic movements from around the world and share the good work of others," she says. "Our grandparents left their countries to find a better future. We still believe in the opportunity America represents, especially in the present moment."
In addition to including Hyperakt work inspired by the presidential campaign, the exhibition will also feature a sampling of recent work produced by the studio for a range of clients.