WAR, 1997. Special issue created by Nick Knight for Big Magazine. Design by Peter Saville.
THE BIG EXHIBITION
Two decades of Big. A world of creative freedom.
A creative project by Big Magazine.
Photography, art, design and fashion come together in a travelling exhibition exploring two decades of independent creativity.
Founded in Madrid in 1991, Big developed internationally from its base in New York, bringing together photographers, artists, designers and writers from around the world to create projects with their own identity. The Big Exhibition presents a selection of this work through original publications and the visual archive.
Twenty years of creative freedom.
Big gave its collaborators the freedom to develop their own ideas and visual language. Each project became an opportunity to experiment with images, challenge conventions and bring different disciplines together.
From 1991 to 2010, Big worked with creative teams around the world. Across photography, art, design, fashion, film, illustration and writing, their projects formed a body of work shaped by different places, perspectives and ways of seeing.
Beyond the printed page.
The exhibition places these works in a new context. Images originally encountered in a publication become part of a spatial experience, revealing connections between projects, disciplines and generations of collaborators.
Many creative voices. Unmistakably Big.
Many of Big’s editions were developed by independent teams in different parts of the world. Photographers, art directors, designers, stylists and writers brought their own cultural references and creative approaches.
What connected them was a shared commitment to creative freedom and a willingness to explore unfamiliar territory.
Photography, from left to right:
Norbert Schoerner · Robert Polidori · Robert Wyatt.
LAUREN HUTTON — THE BEAUTIFUL PERSISTS
Big Magazine No. 58.
Art direction and design by Alex Wiederin.
BIG SHOW
Big Magazine No. 62.
Cover photography by Warren du Preez & Nick Thornton Jones.
Art direction and design by Daren Ellis.
Chanel runway photograph by Simon Procter.
WAR
A project by Nick Knight for Big Magazine.
Design by Peter Saville, 1997.
GISELE
A Big Magazine project featuring Gisele Bündchen.
Photograph by Vincent Peters.
Art direction and design by Swillingham & Spalding, 1999.
SLOW PLUMBING
A project by Javier Vallhonrat for Big Magazine.
Design by Michel Mallard, 2000.
UTOPIA
A tribute to Oscar Niemeyer.
Photograph by Luiz Garrido.
Design by Rafic Farah, 2001.
DETROIT
A portrait of the Motor City.
Art direction and design by John Hobbs.
International recognition.
Big’s projects have received more than 50 international awards and distinctions across editorial design, photography and innovation.
Recognition includes honours from the Society of Publication Designers, D&AD, The One Show, the Art Directors Club, Photo District News and the Webby Awards.
Bring The Big Exhibition to your city.
We welcome conversations with venues and cultural institutions interested in hosting the travelling exhibition.
Contact us to explore the project and discuss how it could be presented in your space.
Enquire about hosting the exhibition →
contactbig@bigmagazine.com
BIG MAGAZINE · THE EXHIBITION
20 Years
of Print
Twenty years of creative freedom.
A new perspective on visual culture.
A new perspective on visual culture.
The Beauty Persists, 2005. Special issue dedicated to Lauren Hutton. Art Direction and Design by Alex Weiderin.
01 / THE CONCEPT
Twenty years of independent editorial creativity, brought together in one exhibition.
At a time when images are created, consumed and forgotten faster than ever, this exhibition invites audiences to rediscover twenty years of independent editorial creation.
Like every issue of BIG Magazine, each exhibition is a unique creative project, conceived in dialogue with the space, the city and the culture that hosts it.
Like every issue of BIG Magazine, each exhibition is a unique creative project, conceived in dialogue with the space, the city and the culture that hosts it.
1991Founded in Madrid and developed internationally from New York.
50+International awards and distinctions.
20 yearsIndependent editorial creation, from 1991 to 2010.
02 / ONE MAGAZINE, MANY VOICES
Different places.
Different teams.
One editorial vision.
Each issue of BIG was an independent creative project, developed in different parts of the world by teams of photographers, artists, art directors, designers and writers. Each team had the freedom to explore its own visual language and reflect its cultural environment.
Photography, from left to right: Norbert Schoerner, Florian Maier-Aichen and Robert Wyatt.
03 / THE COVERS
One magazine.
Many identities.
04 / SELECTED WORKS
The archive,
beyond the printed page.
GISELE, 1999. Issue dedicated to Gisele Bündchen. Art direction and design by Swillingham & Spalding. Photography by Vincent Peters. Fashion Direction by Katie Grand.
SLOW PLUMBING, 2000. Special issue created by Javier Vallhonrat for Big Magazine. Design by Michel Mallard.
GAMES, 2001. An exploration of Japan’s emerging video game culture and its new visual language. Created primarily with Japanese artists and contributors. Artwork by Ichiro Tanida.
UTOPIA, 2001. A tribute to Oscar Niemeyer. Art direction and design by Rafic Farah. Society of Publication Designers (SPD) Gold Medal for Best Overall Issue Design.
DETROIT, 2005. A raw portrait of the Motor City. Art direction and design by John Hobbs. Gold Pencil, The One Show 2005.
SHOW, 2007. A celebration of the creative vision, extraordinary production and photography behind the world’s great fashion shows. Featuring Chanel Spring/Summer 2007. Art Direction and Design by Daren Ellis. Photography by Simón Procter.
05 / ONE EXHIBITION, ENDLESS INTERPRETATIONS
Each exhibition is a unique creative project.
Each curator has the freedom and the challenge to create their own interpretation of The BIG Exhibition, bringing the archive into dialogue with the architecture, the city and its culture.
COMPREHENSIVE EXHIBITION
A twenty-year retrospective featuring editorial projects, enlarged reproductions of original double-page spreads, historical publications and archival material.
ADAPTED EXHIBITION
A curated selection of projects, covers and original double-page spreads, developed in dialogue with the architectural and cultural character of each venue.
EDITORIAL INSTALLATION
A smaller-scale exhibition conceived for a specific space, festival or cultural program, drawing on a selection from the BIG archive.
06 / COLLABORATION MODEL
Conceived for each space.
Produced locally.
01 · THE SPACE
The hosting institution provides floor plans, dimensions, technical specifications, cultural context and potential exhibition dates.
02 · THE PROPOSAL
BIG works with the institution to develop the curatorial and installation concept, selecting works and preparing original files.
03 · PRODUCTION
The institution produces and installs the exhibition locally, following BIG’s specifications and under its supervision.
Always the complete double-page spread.
Each work is presented as originally published, preserving its images, design and text.
07 / INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION
50+ international awards and distinctions in editorial design, photography and innovation, including SPD, D&AD, The One Show, Art Directors Club, PDN Photo Annual and Webby Awards.