Brazilian, based in Berlin.
Brazilian, based in Berlin.
Listen to the podcast here.
Marina Dahmer
PRODUCTION
Joana Varon & Juliana Mastrascusa
SOUND
Gabriela Brigagão & Juliana R.
COMMUNICATIONS
Laila Almeida
SOUNDTRACK
Mestre Lucas da Lapa & Tiago Caviglia
(VOL. BANHO MARIA), 2024.
PT–BR. 88 p.
Through this lens, we revisit national and regional fictions that shape hegemonic realities—of official documents, buildings, and street names—while contrasting them with narratives that challenge systems of power and violence. Fiction here is not about lies, but about creation, intimately tied to lived experience. It serves as a tool to examine what stands, what’s buried, and what’s hidden within the layered text of cities over time. This platform becomes a space where research, ideas, and the playful use of language come together, embracing the motion and fluidity required to cut through the static.
Marina Dahmer
EDITORS
Alice Lima Lin and Pedro Levorin
AUTHORS
Ana Amorim, Eduarda Canto, Gabriela Gaia M., Gabriela Perigo, Jéferson, o Gê, Julia Pedreira, Luiz Henrique Oliveira, Nathália Araújo, Pedro Levorin, Pedro Pessanha
For the 2024 edition’s visual identity, the concept from 2023 was continued—a play on words, as in Portuguese, Feira means both Fair and street market. The approach was to visually merge the "vegetable market" with the "Book Fair." This year, however, introduced a new twist: an emphasis on whats native or grown in Brazilian soil, offering a more representative view of Brazil's rich biodiversity. From açaí to pinhão, the fruits and vegetables appeared in vibrant colours, primarily set against a neutral grey background.
To further expand, these elements were integrated into the typography, elevating the vegetables to letterforms, so the act of reading is transformed into "vegetable literacy."
Marina Dahmer
CONCEPT & CREATIVE DIRECTION
Marina Dahmer and Bruno Abatti
TYPOGRAPHY DESIGN
Bruno Abatti
PHOTOGRAPHY
Team/Tereza Novaes
CURATORSHIP
Paulo Werneck
ARCHITECTURE
Alvaro Razuk Arquitetura
PRODUCTION
Mariana Shiraiwa
Anti–souvenirs for Unseen Monuments of Barcelona is a solo project developed at Elisava under the guidance of Rafael Prat Menacho.
The collection plays with the common visual language of mass–produced souvenirs, which often rely on elements such as decorative cursive typography, overused or distorted type, and excessive colour saturation. These objects, whether fridge magnets, calendars, or T–shirts, are designed for mass tourism and portray the same handful of attractions. In essence, the souvenirs sold in Barcelona are no different from those found in Cairo.
The challenge of this project was to transform something inherently generic into something highly personal. To achieve this, I borrowed familiar souvenir formats (calendar, poster, keychain, cap) and graphic strategies (typography, colour, photography effects, materials), but reimagined them to create objects that resonate only with one person: myself.
The calendar, for example, isn’t designed to serve a functional purpose. Instead, it’s a deeply personal record of my days in Barcelona from 2017 to 2024. The typography and imagery act as visual codes, capturing specific emotions and experiences—graphic elements that only I can fully understand and relate to.
The keychains take a playful approach to their purpose: each oversized—too large for your pocket—, laser-printed design is tied to every home I lived in while in Barcelona, whether for a short or longer period.
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Marina Dahmer
(24 DESIGNERS) is a visual collection of selected works by Barcelona–based graphic/visual/product designers, created for the Typography and Graphic Design program at Elisava under the guidance of Rocío Hidalgo.
By flatening all the featured works to black and white, where the shapes are in contrast and the formal decisions of each project are revealed, the book creates visual or thematic relations and frictions between projects. This monochromatic approach also establishes a unifying element across diverse portfolios, enhancing cohesion within the collection.
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Marina Dahmer
Collection of postcards developed for Cindy Sherman. Foil printing.
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Marina Dahmer
Marxismo: Uma Introdução (Ernest Mandel), 2023.
264 p.
This book, a joint initiative between Usina Editorial and Instituto Insurgir aims to achieve two key objectives: first, to reintroduce some of the essential works of Ernest Mandel—one of the leading Marxist thinkers of the 20th century—back to the Brazilian audience, as his writings have not been reissued in the country for many years. Second, it seeks to present Mandel to a new generation of Brazilian Marxists in 2023, the centenary of his birth.
Embracing the idea that the book was conceived as an introductory resource for young readers, the design—from the typography on the cover to the pocket-sized format—takes inspiration from an old matchbox discovered in an archive, as if the book itself was the instrument for the first spark igniting interest in further Marxist readings.
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Bruno Abatti & Marina Dahmer
A Feira do Livro is a book fair that took place in June at Praça Charles Miller, located in front of the Pacaembu Stadium in São Paulo. This event featured prominent figures from Brazilian and international literature and hosted over 150 publishers, bookstores, and exhibitors for a span of five days, drawing a total audience of 35.000 people.
For the concept that shaped the visual identity, the starting point was a play on words. In Portuguese, Feira refers to both Fair and street market. The idea, therefore, was to invite the vegetable market to the Book Fair, merging these two universes with their own distinct graphic codes. The shaped–graphic–elements evoke the pages of books. The vegetable market contributed its colour palette and distorted typography (inspired by the signs on vendor crates), and, of course, the vegetables themselves. A modification was made to the FK Screamer typeface, giving it a louder, more vibrant feel, reminiscent of street vendors calling out to sell their produce. This visual identity celebrates the encounter of these two universes.
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Bruno Abatti & Marina Dahmer
CURATORSHIP
Paulo Werneck
ARCHITECTURE
Alvaro Razuk Arquitetura
PRODUCTION
Mariana Shiraiwa
PHOTOGRAPHY
Gabriel Guarany, Guilherme Rocha, and Sean Vadaru
Visual identity, illustrations and custom typography for a restaurant located in the heart of São Paulo—El Gato Rojo. The space blends Latin American and European culinary traditions, featuring a menu crafted by a Parisian chef, who brings a touch of the City of Light to each dish.
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Marina Dahmer
- Proposal for design award poster at Museu da Casa Brasileira/2019, selected for the award exhibition
- Proposal for design award poster at Museu da Casa Brasileira/2020
- Proposal for design award poster at Museu da Casa Brasileira/2020
GRAPHIC DESIGN
DOOM Design (Marina Dahmer & Caique Meirelles)