News: Felipe Taborda's Kabum! Mix poster exhibition in Japan
received from Felipe Taborda

Exhibition poster by Takashi Akiyama

KABUM! MIX An Explosion of Creativity The Kabum Mix was inspired by a workshop developed some years ago by the great French designer Alain Le Quernec. I adapted his original idea and created this project for Brazil. Sponsored by Oi Future Institute, Kabum Mix was implanted in their art and technology schools in the cities of Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Recife and Belo Horizonte. In these schools, students from ages 16 to 19, normally enrolled in local public schools, have the opportunity to learn graphic design, computer science, video making and photography. The regular courses last one year and a half, in which time our students become familiar with state-of-the-art technology in each of the areas mentioned. The Kabum Mix workshops takes approximately five weeks, and so far there were two editions (2008 and 2009). In each city the selected students work side by side with the staff of the school's educators and the help of local graphic designers hired for this job. In the two editions the students developed posters on social topics such as water conservation, human rights, teenage pregnancy, AIDS, future and love. For the last week of the workshop we had Alain Le Quernec (in 2008) and Mexican designer Alejandro Magallanes (in 2009). Both came to Brazil to follow up and partake in the work of the students, helping select the posters from each city. These posters were printed in a serigraphic process, in a 180 x 120 cm format and were spread out in Clear Channel urban displays in some 200 different spots in the city of Rio de Janeiro, during four weeks. It also has been shown at international events in countries such as Mexico (International Poster Biennale), Spain, Finland (Lahti Poster Biennale), Holland, Bolivia, Peru, Chile and Poland (Warsaw's 22nd International Poster Biennale). Now this superb collection of 21 posters from the Kabum! Mix project is proudly presented in Japan, at the prestigious Tama Art University, in Tokyo. I want to thank everyone involved with this exciting project specially the talent of all students who participated in it. Felipe Taborda conception and coordination

Below are some photos of the exhibition of the 21 posters from the project Kabum! Mix + 80 posters of mine at the gallery of Tama Art University, in Tokyo, Japan. This show opened on September 18, 2010. In one of the photos there's Takashi Akiyama (with glasses, talking to his students and guests). He is one of the top Japanese graphic designers, besides being the main responsible for the happening of this show. Besides the importance of this, knowing that the Kabum! Mix project is getting recognition even in Japan is quite exiting!