Beyond Boundaries brings together two poster exhibitions previously exhibited in two different universities: Persian Garden, displayed at Michigan State University and 20 X 20 Posters for Peace, exhibited at Oklahoma State University. Persian Garden exhibit will be on display at Milner Library, Schroeder Hall Art Gallery, and Transpace Gallery (School of Art). 20 X 20 Posters for Peace will be displayed at Transpace Gallery.
Persian Garden, curated by Mehrdad Sedaghat and organized at ISU by Ladan Bahmani, features posters that are designed by professionals as well as younger generation of graphic designers from Iran. With an aesthetic not similar to American designs, these works are created by people who grew in a different social, economical, and political environment.
Graphic design education and history is mainly focused on the development of this field in western countries. Examples of Iranian designs are rare in design books and not many graphic designers are familiar with the evolution of design in Iran. The topic of the posters in this exhibit ranges from political and social issues to personal or commercial designs for specific events. Persian Garden is a reminder of how graphic design can bring people and nations together when the politics acts opposite.
This event is sponsored by the Harold K. Sage Foundation and the Illinois State University Foundation Fund.