Type Is Image, a comprehensive Paula Scher retrospective at the Pinakothek der Moderne in Munich, is a spectacular celebration of typography in the form of an amazing immersive installation.
Paula Scher stands as one of the most influential and successful graphic designers of the past fifty years, serving as a partner in Pentagram's New York office since 1991. The exhibition showcases commissioned works spanning Scher's five-decade career, including record covers from the 1970s, posters and branding for the New York Public Theater, Bloomberg, Microsoft, the Museum of Modern Art, the New York City Ballet, the New York Shakespeare Festival in Central Park, and numerous other iconic projects that demonstrate her distinctive typographic style.
The exhibition space itself becomes part of the experience, with walls and columns entirely covered in posters of various sizes, while the floor has been carpeted with a hand-painted map of Munich. Additional posters hang from the ceiling and rotate slowly through two massive glass display cases. Even the custom-designed tables and display cases rest on typographic elements, with letters forming their bases.
This kind of visual abundance is what I’ve always loved. It is also why I find myself drawn to cities such as Hong Kong and Tokyo. I should add that I’m equally drawn to the other extreme of the spectrum: zen-like minimalist spaces featuring a single powerful artwork.
Paula Scher: Type Is Image is at the Pinakothek der Moderne in München until 31 March 2026.