Formal Settings

The Göteborg International Biennial for Contemporary Art @goteborg_biennial is now open! We created its visual identity and bespoke typeface, inspired by the title: “a hand that is all our hands combined”—a line from a poem by Solmaz Sharif. Curated by @christinalehnert , the biennial gathers artistic voices that respond to the conflicts, authoritarianism, and divisions of our present. Our visual concept grew from the poem’s evocation of ambiguity, multiplicity, and collective responsibility. The result is “Ggaaarrrraammmonnddd,” a custom typeface where each letter is composed of several: “a letter that is all the letters combined”. Thank you @rodastenkonsthall and partners @goteborgskonstmuseum @goteborgskonsthall @konstmuseet i Skövde and @stadsbiblioteketgbg for the trust and collaboration.

@villaheikekunstverein is an exhibition space for contemporary art located in a listed historic building in Berlin-Lichtenberg. Their programming platform artistic positions that interrogate the technical image as a creative method, a form of representation, and a site of political action. The poster system, applied here for their recent exhibition Shifting Weathers feature a custom modular typeface inspired by the buildings architecture and history straddling industry and culture. For each exhibition the typeface will modify and change, adapting to theme and expression. Featured artwork by @luizzanotello Exhibition curated by @sarienijboer and Michael Schäfer

OKOK gallery was founded in 2026 by Wendy Chang and Marjolein van der Meer. The gallery introduces a combination of emerging and established artists to the contemporary art world, aiming to grow together. We focus on sensory experiences, materiality and community building, with art in a variety of media, stretching from drawing and painting to sculpture, video and performance art. The gallery is located in Wrangelstraße in Berlin. Our visual identity was designed by @formal.settings including our website and we adore it. Have a look 👀 okokgallery.com To become part of our network, subscribe to our newsletter, follow or message us. We would love to hear from you! @marjoleinvandermeer @moxkari #okokgallery #formalsettings #wrangel66 #newgallery #contemporyart

Among the projects taking form during winter was the website for the new Berlin-based contemporary art gallery @okok.gallery completing the digital side of the identity we’ve created for them. Like the rest of the elements, it features the Maskot typeface by @jonathan.bruun ✍️ The slides feature artworks by @roman.roth_ and @isabell.schulte

@okok.gallery is a new independent gallery in Kreuzberg, Berlin, introducing a combination of emerging and established artists to the contemporary art world, with the aim of growing together. The dynamic logo, website and printed material come together in a simple, matter-of-fact and slightly playful identity featuring the Maskot typeface by @jonathan.bruun 🔠 Artwork seen on printed handout: Europacity by the great @roman.roth_ Thank you @marjoleinvandermee and @moxkari for an exciting collaboration! 🆗🆗

Two years after our book Notes on Book Design first came out - and sold out - the new edition published by @niggli_verlag is now on more and more shelves. It contains a new introductory essay written specifically for the book by design writer @madeleinemorleyy and also include even more visual reference material (alongside the original 50 texts drawing parallels between the book as a design object and the cultural movements, political landscapes and economic conditions under which it was created, the foreword by @hopscotchreadingroom and the afterword by @prem_krishnamurthy , of course). This Friday March 13th at 6PM we open the doors to a relaunch reception hosted at the unparalleled @einbuch.haus and you are warmly invited for readings, refreshments and … rites of spring? 🌱☀️📖

Book Release Notes on Book Design Formal Settings Fri. March. 13, 18 - 21 hr Reading by Madeleine Morley @madeleinemorleyy einBuch.haus Lindenstr. 91, 10969 Berlin 📝 Notes on Book Design is a collection of 50 texts written by Amanda-Li Kollberg and Siri Lee Lindskrog of Formal Settings, based on books from the collection of Hopscotch Reading Room in Berlin. The texts draw parallels between the book as a design object and the cultural movements, political landscapes and economic conditions under which it was created. The 50 texts are paired with an intro­duction by writer Madeleine Morley, a foreword by Hopscotch Reading Room and an afterword in which designer, author and educator Prem Krishnamurthy offers additional framing and perspective to the project. 📖 Notes on Book Design Formal Settings (Amanda-Li Kollberg, Siri Lee Lindskrog) niggli Verlag, 2025 (First edition published by Onomatopee in 2023) Cover drawing by: John Seung-Hwan Lee Typesetting: Silvana Text and ABC Diatype 111 x 181 mm, 360 p. English, Softcover with flaps ⚪️ Formal Settings @formal.settings is a Berlin and Copenhagen based type- and graphic design studio collaborating with international clients in the fields of art and culture. Founded in 2014 by Amanda-Li Kollberg & Siri Lee Lindskrog, the studio’s reflective practice blends tradition and experimentation and Scandinavian as well as international influences. niggli Verlag @niggli_verlag is an independent Swiss publisher of typography, design, and architecture books that publish comprehensive, meticulously crafted publications.

Book Release Notes on Book Design Formal Settings Fri. March. 13, 18 - 21 hr Reading by Madeleine Morley einBuch.haus Lindenstr. 91, 10969 Berlin 📝 Notes on Book Design is a collection of 50 texts written by Amanda-Li Kollberg and Siri Lee Lindskrog of Formal Settings, based on books from the collection of Hopscotch Reading Room in Berlin. The texts draw parallels between the book as a design object and the cultural movements, political landscapes and economic conditions under which it was created. The 50 texts are paired with an intro­duction by writer Madeleine Morley, a foreword by Hopscotch Reading Room and an afterword in which designer, author and educator Prem Krishnamurthy offers additional framing and perspective to the project. 📖 Notes on Book Design Formal Settings (Amanda-Li Kollberg, Siri Lee Lindskrog) niggli Verlag, 2025 (First edition published by Onomatopee in 2023) Cover drawing by: John Seung-Hwan Lee Typesetting: Silvana Text and ABC Diatype 111 x 181 mm, 360 p. English, Softcover with flaps ⚪️ Formal Settings @formal.settings is a Berlin and Copenhagen based type- and graphic design studio collaborating with international clients in the fields of art and culture. Founded in 2014 by Amanda-Li Kollberg & Siri Lee Lindskrog, the studio’s reflective practice blends tradition and experimentation and Scandinavian as well as international influences. niggli Verlag @niggli_verlag is an independent Swiss publisher of typography, design, and architecture books that publish comprehensive, meticulously crafted publications.

New custom type by @formal.settings × @approx.type 🤝 We were asked to create two typefaces for @sorelfootwear — a company founded in 1962 known, amongst other things, for their Caribou boot 🥾 The serif (Sorel Frontier) is designed for headlines, distilling Sorel’s character by balancing the raw power of the natural world with the refined, elegant sensibility discovered in their footwear. The sans (Sorel Base) on the other hand, serves a more functional purpose being used merely in small copy, optimised for legibility, while still incorporating a few quirks that mirror the serif’s playfulness. @checklandkindleysides expertly developed the broader brand strategy and identity. Thanks a lot @stevenubsdell for bringing us on board for this fun project! ❄️ #customtype #soreltypeface #checklandkindleysides #bespoketype #fonts

OKOK gallery was founded in 2026 by Wendy Chang and Marjolein van der Meer. The gallery introduces a combination of emerging and established artists to the contemporary art world, aiming to grow together. We focus on sensory experiences, materiality and community building, with art in a variety of media, stretching from drawing and painting to sculpture, video and performance art. @moxkari @marjoleinvandermeer design by @formal.settings #okokgallery #contemporaryartgallery #berlin

“Anders Thomas Jenssen — From “Flickering Lights” to “The Last Viking” contains just that: 25 years of equally brutal and poignant feature films, editorially intermingled with the short films, Hollywood detours, script writing collaborations and wild anecdotes that shaped Thomas Jensen’s career — so far. Photo of the cover: @r.damisch

Film director and screenwriter Anders Thomas Jensen’s work has had a significant impact on Danish culture, and his unmistakable way of wrapping raw and utter darkness in immense tenderness and humor has made him a bit of an international icon too. Over the summer, we dove deep in behind-the-scenes photo material, facsimile scripts and in-depth reporting on his decades long career, culminating in this 336 page portrait, written by Jacob Wendt Jensen and Christian Monggaard. 📸🙏 @r.damisch