Hello Image: The Staging of Things
How are design products brought to life visually? How do designers, photographers, graphic designers and companies work together? And when did graphic and photographic advertising first appear? These questions are the focus of the exhibition ‘Hello Image: The Staging Of Things’at Hamburg’s Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, which runs from 4 April 2025 to 22 April 2026. Drawing on the museum’s rich collection, the exhibition juxtaposes iconic design objects with their depiction in graphics and product photography, exploring how visual narratives are created through collaboration between different creative disciplines.
The exhibition features 20 case studies that tell the stories of product and advertising design, highlighting the intersection of design craftsmanship and the construction of a product’s visual identity.
Design classics on display include Wilhelm Wagenfeld’s Bauhaus lamp, Ettore Sottsass’s ‘Valentine’ travel typewriter, Martin Margiela’s iconic ‘Duvet Coat’ and a pleated dress by Issey Miyake. These objects are juxtaposed with photographic series by Lucia Moholy and Jürgen Teller and graphic works by such notable names as Giovanni Pintori, Otl Aicher, Lora Lamm, Margarete Jahny, Erich Müller, Ingeborg Krach Rams and Wolfgang Schmidt.
The transition from typographic and graphic-driven advertising to photography is explored through the example of Kaffee Haag, a company that illustrates this shift in visual storytelling. The complex brand identities of heritage companies such as Pelikan, Olivetti and Pirelli are contrasted with the provocative campaigns of Oliviero Toscani for Benetton. Collaborations such as JW Anderson’s partnership with ceramicists Magdalene Odundo and Shawanda Corbett and photographer Jürgen Teller reflect the mutual inspiration between artists and designers. Similarly, the quiet but profound exchange between Issey Miyake and photographer Irving Penn over 11 years is an example of the dialogue between design and imagery.
The exhibition also explores contemporary trends, in particular the pervasive influence of social media on the way things are portrayed. It offers a comprehensive view of how digital platforms are shaping modern visual culture.
The exhibition is accompanied by a comprehensive catalogue featuring images by renowned German product photographer Hans Hansen.
