MUNCHEN '72 (2022)

München '72 - an exhibition of items from the 1972 Olympic Games : from the collection of Ian McLaren

Exhibition

15.09.22 - 05.11.22

September 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the 1972 Munich Olympic Games. 2022 also marks 100 years since the birth of graphic designer Otl Aicher, who led the team - named Dept XI - that created the graphic identity for the entire games and in doing so set a benchmark for graphic design and visual communication. the modernist celebrates these anniversaries with a new exhibition 'Munchen '72' - an exhibition of items from the collection of Ian McLaren.

Ian McLaren was one of the members of Dept XI and worked extensively on the visual output for Munich '72 and he has kindly lent us some items from his personal collection of posters and ephemera.

The exhibition - running at the modernist 58 Port Street Manchester M1 2EQ from 15th September will show a small collection of posters, some designed by Ian, and various artefacts such as catalogues, programmes, badges and even some of the resources used by the design team.

Ian McLaren attended the influential Ulm School of Design and in the 1960s designed material for CND, The National Theatre and The Arts Council. He also designed many book covers for Penguin and Puffin before joining the Munich team in 1970. After Munich he moved Paris and his practise designed visual identities for UNESCO, Lyon Metro and Centre Culturelle Georges Pompidou. He later went on to teach at various universities including The Glasgow School of Art and De Montfort Universities.