At the 2024 Leipzig Buchmesse, Dutch and Flemish literature take center stage under the theme “Alles außer flach” (“Everything but flat”). While the Low Countries are known for their straight polders and expansive skies, their literary landscape is anything but static. This vibrant creativity is the focus as the Netherlands and Flanders join forces as Guests of Honour.
Our studio was commissioned to design the event’s identity, online and offline campaigns, exhibition stand, and print publications. Rooted in both regions, we embraced the collaboration to reflect their shared cultural heritage. The pavilion, “Hunting & Collecting”, designed with Brussels-based Babini Geysen, embodies a zero-waste philosophy. Loaned and repurposed materials play a central role, from room dividers sourced from Studio K at KANAL–Centre Pompidou to the iconic REX chair by Dutch designer Ineke Hans. Custom bookcases and trolleys by Stiel Atelier complete the functional, minimal design.
The campaign draws on the recognizable flat horizons of the Low Countries, using abstracted blues and greens of polders, dykes, and skies. At its core is the bespoke “Alles außer flach” font, rising dynamically above the horizon to convey the vitality of Dutch and Flemish literature. Across billboards, trams, and sustainable merchandise, the campaign connects literature with daily life, while digital animations bring contemporary authors’ words to life, exploring language and its evolution.
This project celebrates the dynamic voices of Dutch and Flemish literature, offering an experience that is truly everything but flat.
