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Printing demonstrations and film screenings in MIAT Ghent

The fourth floor of the Museum for Industrial Archaeology and Textile (MIAT) in Ghent, Belgium houses a department devoted to the history of printing from the Industrial Revolution onwards. For the last few years the MIAT has thoroughly re-evaluated this printing section. Its collection now includes a total of 25 different printing presses, and five type casters, along two paper presses, and four paper cutting machines. The printing department has grown three times in size, and a large number of these machines is operational, making it a world class collection.

Letterpress poster for the Gentse Feesten activities at MIAT.
Starting today Saturday 14 and for a period of ten days the Study Group Printing of the MIAT organises guided visits, several demonstrations of letterpress and lithography on various historical presses, and screens documentaries about typography, graphic design and the printing trade. These events coincide with the Gentse Feesten. Pronounce as “Gh-ants-uh Feast-uh” in the native dialect, this city-wide happening is one of the biggest cultural and popular festivals in Europe. For ten days every year halfway July numerous free music stages, international festivals and dozens of stage productions attract an estimate of 1.5 million visitors (up to 2 million according to Wikipedia).

Inking the type for the poster.

Overprint madness.
Demonstrations

July 15–23 | 13:00–17:00

In the historic print shop you will find no static machines, but working, restored historic presses. An enthusiastic team of volunteers creates all kinds of printing matter: from classic stationery and posters to experimental designs. From July 15 to 23 july the MIAT will hold demonstrations of presses and composing machines, including Heidelberg, Linotype, and Intertype. Furthermore the museum expects a guest from the UK who will operate a Monotype typesetting machine.

The lockup transferred to the Perreau & Brault stop cylinder press.

Perreau & Brault stop cylinder press, manufactured in Paris in the 1870s.
Guided tours

July 15, 17, 19 | Reservation required | Price €3

Besides the demonstrations MIAT organises guided tours of the printing department on July 15, 17, 19. Discover the printing collection in the company of an experienced printer. What is the difference between letterpress and lithography. How is the Julien press related to the steam locomotive?

Setting the credits for the documentaries screened during the Gentse Feesten.

Completed lock-up for the poster.
Film screenings

Reservation required | Price €5

Every day of the Gentse Feesten the retro film theatre of the MIAT screens documentaries about the printing trade.

July 15, 17, 19 @ 15:00 | July 21, 23 @ 14:00

Two documentaries about the printing techniques and graphic industry in the 1980s – Die Fascinerende Wereld (F. Thuet, 1973) & Febelgra (J. Viesvil, 1984)

July 16, 18, 20, 22 @ 14:00

Helvetica (G. Hustwitt, 2007), the acclaimed feature length documentary about typography and graphic design in the latter half of the 20th century.

Armina Ghazaryan

Patrick Wille-Dewael
Steamprinting

July 20, 21

MIAT is holding a spectacular printing event in collaboration with Topo Copy. Especially for this experiment more than young 15 artists have prepared and carved large-scale designs as lino cuts, ready to roll! During the event the carvings will get inked and printed on flags and paper, not on a press but on concrete with the aid of a steamroller (indeed, the type of heavy construction machinery used for flattening/compacting surfaces such as roads or airfields…) Preparations are held at MIAT; printing will be done at the DOKsite, at the road split between Koopvaardijlaan and Afrikalaan Ghent. The flags will flutter at DOK and then move to MIAT.

All images by Armina Ghazaryan. Discover the complete series of pictures in her Letterpress posters.2012 set on Flickr.

14.07.2012 - 23.36.45

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