Book Launch & Debate

Thursday, April 2, 2026 — 18:00
With contributions by:
Jan Stuyck, Christophe Clarys, Tess Ego, Claudia Cuypers, and Hugo Puttaert.

Exhibition

March 23, 2026 – May 8, 2026
Monday–Friday — 08:30–16:30

@ Library Sint Lucas Antwerp
Van Schoonbekestraat 143
2000 Antwerp

Unfollow the Leader
Student perspectives on the graphic design canon

In a time when visibility and speed dominate, Unfollow the Leader invites us to slow down and reflect critically on the role of graphic design today. The book and accompanying exhibition originate from student work developed within an educational context. Together, they explore how the role of the graphic designer is changing in a world increasingly shaped by algorithms, economic thinking, and the constant pressure to remain visible.

Through themes such as canon and controversy, craft and artificial intelligence (AI), Unfollow the Leader maps the tensions and contradictions within the discipline. Graphic design emerges as a field that continuously balances between autonomy and dependency — between personal vision and the external systems that increasingly determine what becomes visible.

The project advocates for a design practice that does not simply follow, but questions. A practice grounded in reflection, research, and ethical awareness. From a broad historical perspective, the book connects contemporary design practice with the historical foundations of graphic design.

At its core lies a clear conviction:
the essence of design is not found in form, but in attitude — in the willingness to doubt, to begin again, and to question what seems self-evident.

Unfollow the Leader addresses designers, students, educators, and thinkers who believe that real innovation only emerges when we dare to step off the beaten path.

Artists: Hugo Puttaert, Jan Stuyck, Christophe Clarys, Tess Ego, Claudia Cuypers