Rotterdam design studio 75B exhibits at Kunsthal

Every Rotterdammer has seen expressions by 75B. For years, Rens Muis and Pieter Vos of the Rotterdam-based design agency have been responsible for the posters, flyers, posters, logos and trailers of Annabel, International Film Festival Rotterdam, Susan Bijl, Ro Theater, Arminius, de Doelen and LantarenVenster, among others. From 16 March, the exhibition Klootviolen - a reference to the experimental and playful way of working - at the Kunsthal will show how the striking designs are created.

Muis (1974) and Vos (1971) are the creative brains behind 75B, a name as an abstract code that could refer to a house number, pencil strength, bra size, plan B, and more. In 1997, Muis and Vos - then together with Robert Beckand - founded the design agency and made a name for themselves with their playful flyers in the cultural scene for legendary club RoXY and NOW&WOW, among others.

Today, 75B consists of a small team of designers led by Rens Muis and Pieter Vos. 75B received several awards including the Dutch Design Award (2009), the Theatre Poster Prize (2010) and the China International Poster Biennal (2010). 75B's work is included in the collections of SFMOMA (San Francisco), Stadsarchief Rotterdam and Museum Rotterdam, among others. Mouse and Vos have published several articles, held professorships and given lectures, workshops and guest lectures at academies at home and abroad.

Alles komt goed

At the heart of both 75B's applied and free work is experimentation. Mouse and Fox play with language and image, preferably without a predetermined goal. This working method results in conceptual designs with a wink, such as the posters for music venue Annabel. With colourful posters, 75B positions the Annabel brand as a seventeen-year-old girl who draws her own posters and invites you to her parties.

Klootviolen also shows free work by Muis and Vos, including their large, colourful paintings with cries such as "is this nothing" and "everything will be all right"-which Muis and Vos often say to each other-and a large tapestry depicting Rotterdam's coat of arms using iconic logos and symbols. On the occasion of the exhibition, 75B will design a series of posters of which no two copies are the same. These unique posters can be seen on the streets of Rotterdam, Utrecht, Amsterdam and The Hague from 22 April.

Friday Night LIVE

Every third Friday of the month, with Friday Night LIVE, the Kunsthal offers a stage to a Rotterdam cultural partner to host a vibrant evening programme. On Friday 21 June, 75B is pulling the strings. Between 17:00 and 22:00, the Kunsthal offers the public bites & drinks, music & performances and, above all, a stimulating and inspiring programme with a heavy dose of art.