History

The Brno International Biennial of Graphic Design, established in 1963, is one of the oldest and most important events in the field of visual communication worldwide.

The birth of the Brno Biennial took place against a backdrop of the cultural and political situation in the 1960's, when events were driven by efforts on the part of Czechoslovak artists and designers to develop their right to free artistic expression, tempered by the possibility of comparing what they designed with international counterparts.

The First Czechoslovak Exhibition of Poster and Promotional Graphics was organised by the Moravian Gallery, Brno in 1964. From 1966 onwards it was followed by regular international exhibitions that worked to embrace a wide spectrum of graphic design. The original multi-thematic structure of the Brno Biennial comprised three exhibition disciplines. After 1968, the discipline involving exhibition design was abandoned as it proved too demanding. Two basic subjects have alternated at the Brno Biennial since 1970: (1) Poster, corporate identity, information and promotional graphics, and (2) Graphic design and typography in books, magazines, newspapers and the digital media.

A large number of eminent figures in the field of graphic design have taken part in the Brno Biennial over the years, as exhibiting artists, members of international juries, and lecturers at international symposia. The Brno Biennial has played host to such graphic design luminaries as Saul Bass, Roman Cieślewicz, Wim Crouwel, Alan Fletcher, Adrian Frutiger, Shigeo Fukuda, Milton Glaser, Ivan Chermayeff, Seymour Chwast, Mitsuo Katsui, Herb Lubalin, Ladislav Sutnar, Josef Týfa, Tadanori Yokoo, Hermann Zapf and many others.

The Brno Biennial has provided a major international platform for exhibitions, discussions and relevant accompanying programmes on dynamically-expanding graphic design and its importance to visual culture, for
over five decades.