A step into the void. The opportunity of a twelve-week program at the ArtCenter Berlin studio enabled the Spring 2023 Study Away Program students to immerse themselves in the rich life and culture of the German capital. The Presence of Absence program involved research into the philosophical and aesthetic importance of understanding space, interval, and the interconnectedness of figure and ground in all creative practices. After an initial research period studying concepts of absence and presence through lectures, field trips and site visits in Berlin—a city whose past and present are particularly well suited to the subject—students were challenged to come up with their own project using this theme as their starting point.
This exhibition displays the results of their endeavors, which incorporate investigations into the nature of time, space, the urban environment, soundscapes, reductivism, nothingness and liminality. The students were also able to gain invaluable experience through a related program at the Little Steidl publishing house and printing workshop in Göttingen, experiencing first-hand the German craft/typography/print tradition, and learning important lessons in understanding the material realities of typographic design for the offset printing process.

Instructors: Simon Johnston, Rob Ball, Nina Holland (Little Steidl), Michael Sans 
Participating students: Elio Chen, Grace Hwang, Ruby Kim, Sydney Lee, Elliana Lee, Maggie Morton, Jacob Ruiz, Katherine Shirinyan
Exhibition design: Simon Johnston
Production assistance: Lavinia Lascaris
Installation: Joshue Molina

(more images coming soon)