When can the exhibition be visited?

The exhibition is open on November 7, 2026, from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM. The overall duration is from October 3 to December 6, 2026.

How much is the admission fee?

The regular admission fee is 4 euros. The reduced admission fee is 3 euros. Admission is free for visitors up to 18 years.

Where is the exhibition taking place?

The exhibition takes place at the Brandenburg State Museum of Modern Art at the Diesel Power Station Cottbus, Uferstraße, Am Amtsteich 15, 03046 Cottbus.

What does the exhibition show?

The exhibition features posters from three decades of Fons Hickmann, including series for cultural clients, self- and media-reflective works, as well as socio-political personal commissions.

Is there an official website for the exhibition?

Yes. Information about the exhibition is provided by the Brandenburg State Museum of Modern Art on its official website.

Fons Hickmann Exhibition Cottbus 2026

Name: Fons Hickmann. Posters from Today and Before
Start: 2026-11-07T11:00:00+01:00
End: 2026-11-07T19:00:00+01:00
Location: Brandenburgisches Landesmuseum für Moderne Kunst - Dieselkraftwerk Cottbus

When the Poster Becomes a Visual Thought Process

The Brandenburg State Museum of Modern Art presents the exhibition Fons Hickmann. Posters from Today and Before at the Diesel Power Station Cottbus. The exhibition opens the view to three decades of internationally acclaimed poster creativity and makes communication design accessible as a standalone cultural expression.

Typography, Color, and Social Reflection

Fons Hickmann, born in Hamm in 1966, is one of the influential German communication designers, typographers, and authors of our time. With the studio Fons Hickmann m23, founded in Berlin in 2001, he developed complex communication systems for cultural institutions, magazines, books, events, and digital media.

The exhibition showcases posters that not only convey information but also visually condense it. Text becomes form, color becomes an emotional cipher, and the surface becomes a space for thought. In this combination of design, imagery, and societal communication, a contemporary art movement emerges beyond traditional genre boundaries.

Posters as Cultural Intervention

Many works were created in series for long-term clients from the cultural sector. They are complemented by self- and media-reflective works as well as personal commissions, in which socio-political themes appear as paper interventions. Thus, the poster confronts the audience not as a mere advertising surface but as a precisely composed visual argument.

The examination of the works focuses on composition, rhythm, materiality, and legibility. Hickmann's design connects analytical clarity with experimental aesthetics. His works represent an art of seeing, where typographic order and visual irritation interplay.

Contextualization within Contemporary Design

Hickmann studied photography and communication design as well as aesthetics and media theory. He teaches as a professor at the University of the Arts Berlin and is a member of international professional associations such as the Alliance Graphique Internationale, the Type Directors Club New York, and the Art Directors Club. His studio is among the most awarded design offices of today; among the mentioned awards are international typography and poster prizes, as well as honors for outstanding communication design.

At the Diesel Power Station Cottbus, this art-historical contextualization merges with an immediate aesthetic experience. The exhibition atmosphere is created from the interplay of concentrated typography, striking color fields, and series hanging. Visitors experience how visual communication structures perception and translates cultural content into memorable images.

Conclusion: Communication Design as Art Experience

Fons Hickmann. Posters from Today and Before invites art enthusiasts to a sensory yet analytical encounter with typography, poster art, and visual culture. The exhibition imparts cultural education, sharpens the eye for design, and shows how socially effective images emerge from text, color, and surface. Those who wish to experience the aesthetic power of the poster live should not miss this art experience at the Diesel Power Station Cottbus.