The Medium is the Message: the art of European posters

First online lecture of the series “Europe on posters”

In light of its temporary exhibition When Walls Talk, the House of European History is organising the series of online lectures “Europe on ; Experts will discuss the role of posters over the past 100 years of European history, how they shape ideas about art and their role in the evolution of the public ; 

At the beginning of the 20th century, posters combining words and images represented a radical new medium of visual communication. They were hailed as a uniquely modern and democratic new art form with the potential of bringing art closer to everyday life. In this lecture, Catherine Flood explores the ways in which posters have harnessed and shaped ideas about art, design and society in Europe throughout the major social and political shifts of the last 100 years.

Catherine Flood is a curator whose work spans contemporary creative practices and design history. Formerly Curator of Posters at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, she has published widely on the subject of poster history. She has been curator of a number of major exhibitions on themes of design and society, including Disobedient Objects (V&A, 2014) and Food: Bigger than the Plate (V&A, 2019).

Moderated by George Stylianou, former journalist and currently the House of European History’s PR, Outreach and Institutional Officer.

Introduction by Perikles Christodoulou, Curator at the House of European History