Pressa Cologne, 1928: Exhibitions and publication design in the Weimar period

Pressa, an international exhibition of the modern press, advertising and publishing, held in Cologne, Germany in 1928, offered an opportunity for modernist and traditional designers to present work alongside each other. Contemporary reviews indicated that opinions were divided on the appropriateness of exhibiting such items of everyday culture. Moreover, the vast financial expenditure on the site and its temporary nature were questioned. The designs for Pressa by the Soviet designer El Lissitzky (1890-1941) are, perhaps, the most celebrated in existing literature.