This year’s CYAN Festival of Visual Culture will be held from October 10 to October 12 in the Split City Youth Theater and Klub Kocka Gallery.

CYAN is organized by Alen Marić and the teams of the Design Hub Split and the DUMP Association of Young Developers.

The festival brings together experts from the fields of graphic design, typography, architecture, photography, and animation and offers an opportunity to acquire new knowledge and network. The aim of the CYAN is to encourage cooperation between experts from different design disciplines and to expand the community of professionals in the field of visual arts.

The official opening of the CYAN Festival of Visual Culture with the exhibition “Home: An Art Exhibition for a Cause” will be held on October 10 at 20:00 at Klub Kocka Gallery as part of World Homeless Day.

The exhibition is dedicated to raising awareness and supporting the homeless.

The following artists will participate in the exhibition: Dea Pavešković, Glorija Lizde, Klementina Tadin, Klara Đapić, Marcella Zanki, Marko Borota, Mile Modić, Miljenko Dujić, Paško Jurić, Stjepan Jukić, Tina Spahija, Valentina Mindoljević and Influencer Ulla.

Entrance is free, and the recommended dress code is “comfortable, like at home“. 🙂

And when it comes to the official CYAN Festival of Visual Culture program, brace yourself because it’s a rich plethora of creatives!

Jonathan Barnbrook

Known for his ground-breaking work in typography, design activism, and iconic collaborations with cultural giants such as David Bowie, John Foxx, Tuxedomoon, and Cult with No Name, Jonathan Barnbrook will share his insights on pushing the boundaries of visual communication.

Barnbrook is one of Britain’s best-known and most respected independent creative studios, based in London. They collaborate with various clients around the world and on projects of multiple scales. From overseeing the visual identity and environmental graphics for Art Basel and Roppongi Hills to the oft-mentioned David Bowie album covers.

Barnbrook’s contribution to design was recognized by a retrospective at the Design Museum in London called Friendly Fire in 2007 and at the Ginza Graphic Gallery in 2004. A traveling exhibition of the studio’s work called Collateral Damage was held in various countries, including France, Croatia, and Slovenia.

Jean François Porchez

Jean François Porchez is the founder of Typofonderie and Director of Typography at ZeCraft. A pioneer of digital typography, he launched TypeParis in 2015, promoting teamwork and talent discovery.

After training as a graphic designer, during which he focused on typography design, Jean François Porchez (1964) worked as typography director at Dragon Rouge and then Le Monde newspaper in the early 90s. He was the president of the International Typographic Association (Association Typographique Internationale) from 2004 to 2007.

He is the founder and head of the ECV Master program for design and typography in the period from 2011 to 2019. He is a member of the board of directors of the Art Directors Club in Paris and a member of the Type Directors Club in New York.

Afshin Ismaeli

Afshin Ismaeli is a highly regarded Norwegian war photographer who has dedicated his life to drawing attention to the realities of war. Growing up in a war-torn country, he deeply understands the devastating impact that conflict can have on individuals and communities.

After completing his studies in journalism at the University of Oslo, Afshin began a career as a photojournalist, focusing on war situations, conflicts, and humanitarian issues. His work has been recognized with numerous awards in the field of journalism and photojournalism, and his images have been published in publications around the world.

In 2019, he received the Ossietzky Award for Freedom of Expression, a prestigious honor that recognizes his dedication to reporting on difficult and sensitive topics.

Eduardo Aires

Eduardo Aires (Ph.D.) is the founder and artistic director of Studio Eduardo Aires. He is also an associate professor at the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Porto and at Biopolis, a research center dedicated to environmental biology, and his position focuses on artistic direction and visual communication.

Eduardo was born in Portugal and has lived in Porto since 1982. In 2019, the Studio led a project selected through an international competition for the design of the new visual identity of the Amorim Group, the world leader in the cork sector.

One of the most prominent projects of the Studio is the visual identity for the city of Porto, which was launched in 2014 and is still in use. The significance and scope of this project have attracted considerable international attention in the fields of visual identity and territorial branding. In 2023, he designed the rebranding of XXIII. the Portuguese government.

Tanja Tomić

Tanja Tomić is the co-founder of the company Indicate Digital GmbH based in Vienna. Originally from Sarajevo, she specializes in two key areas of design: user interface design for safety-critical software applications and information design for passengers in public transport systems.

Her work spans HMI system designs for hydropower to maritime SAR (search and rescue) monitoring centers, with a focus on creating reliable and efficient interfaces for expert users.

In public transport, she designs information systems for passengers in trains, metros, and buses, intending to improve the user experience and optimize passenger flow.

Numen/For Use

Known for their innovative works in conceptual art, scenography, and industrial design, Numen/For Use has been pushing the boundaries of creativity since 1998.

Founded by the talented trio of Sven Jonke, Christoph Katzler, and Nikola Radeljković, this collective redefines design with radical formal reduction and synergistic projects deeply rooted in high modernism. From its large-scale site-specific projects such as the “Inferno” production in Madrid to experimental works such as the N-Light series and Tape Installation, Numen/For Use continues to challenge design conventions.

Their contributions to the fields of industrial and scenographic design have brought them numerous international awards.

Prostorne Taktike d.o.o.

Prostorne Taktike d.o.o. is a dynamic office for architecture and urban planning dedicated to creating innovative, sustainable, and socially responsible spaces.

Founded in 2017 by Luka Cvitan and Antonia Cvitan Vuletić, the team is committed to designing spaces that improve the quality of life and contribute to vibrant and sustainable urban communities. They approach each project with critical thinking, questioning conventional methods and viewing challenges as opportunities for innovation.

Through an interdisciplinary approach and various collaborations, their goal is to create environments that are not only functional but also inspiring, encouraging positive social interactions.

Klara Rusan

Klara Rusan was born at the end of 1993 in Zagreb. She earned a diploma at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb, in the Department of Animated Film and New Media. Plans for a career in animation were replaced by an MA in Creative Illustration from Falmouth University of Art in 2017.

Her thesis was recognized as the winner of the ‘Masters of Art Illustration Authorial Practice: Award for Outstanding Creative Writing’ award.

While she participated in numerous group exhibitions (’36 Mountains’ illustration festival, ‘Erste fragments’, ‘To be continued…comics and visual culture in Croatia’), she held her debut solo exhibition.

So – let’s paint the town in 00FFE1! 😀

Don’t miss this fantastic event – get your CYAN tickets on time!

For more details about CYAN, follow the official CYAN Festival website, Facebook, Instagram, and/or LinkedIn. 😉

Visuals: CYAN Festival