To celebrate 45 years of cultural presence in France, the Polish Institute in Paris commissioned a publication that would reflect the richness of its artistic legacy — from cinema to literature, from concerts to exhibitions.
Instead of a traditional report or review, we envisioned an artistic object — a printed piece that would feel alive, tactile, and quietly bold.
A project that could honor the past without becoming nostalgic, and echo the creative energy the Institute has supported for decades.
A project that could honor the past without becoming nostalgic, and echo the creative energy the Institute has supported for decades.
This is not a full-color catalogue. It is a zine-like booklet, intimate in size and vibrant in intention. A chronicle of shared culture — shaped with rhythm, texture, and quiet contrasts.
The publication is printed in risograph, with a consciously limited color palette:
Red and white, a nod to the Polish flag. Blue, for France — together forming the tricolor. When layered, red and blue create subtle shades of violet, adding elegance and softness. Black grounds the images and gives clarity to the visual narrative.
Red and white, a nod to the Polish flag. Blue, for France — together forming the tricolor. When layered, red and blue create subtle shades of violet, adding elegance and softness. Black grounds the images and gives clarity to the visual narrative.
We embraced a raw yet refined aesthetic: geometric forms inspired by Polish graphic tradition, hand-cut typography, referencing artisanal poster design, fragmented photo placements echoing the idea of memory and archive, a play between modern zine structure and vintage visual heritage.
The booklet includes documentation of events, archival materials, and interviews with cultural collaborators — carefully arranged to evoke both movement and stillness. It’s a form that holds history, yet stays open to interpretation — just like culture itself.
Marble paper textures gives this side of old book aestetic, as we can see in the libraries and the old catalogs.
But - with a little twist of modern colors that gives the freshness.
This special edition was launched during the anniversary celebration of the Polish Institute in Paris in September 2024 — an evening that marked both the fête and the premiere of the publication itself.
