Karel Martens: Unbound at Stedelijk Museum

The Stedelijk presents the first major solo exhibition of Karel Martens (1939) in Amsterdam. Unbound shows decades of work: autonomous print works, iconic books, posters and recent experimental research in color and form. Martens' handwriting - rhythm, repetitive structures, minimal interventions - remains recognizable even when he couples traditional printing techniques with new media.

The exhibition is set up as a continuous score. You can see how Martens reuses materials, stacks pressure layers and lets color speak for itself. Instead of isolating "beautiful end products," let Unbound precisely breathe the process: proofs, iterations, combinations. The work invites you to come closer and feel the logic behind the image. A publication with the same title accompanies the expo, balancing between artist's book and catalog.

Unbound connects content to design debates of today: sustainability (working with residual materials), accessibility (typography as a space of use) and education (the transfer through teaching and workshops). The Stedelijk is also programming public events, including a talk with Martens and curator/designer Thomas Castro - an opportunity to connect the work to today's design practice.

"Martens shows that design does not close - it remains open, breathing, in motion."

For visitors, the presentation feels like a reset of looking: graphic design not as clean form, but as research, time and rhythm. That fits the museum, where art and design intersect. And practical: Unbound runs through Oct. 26, with daily opening hours and tickets available through the site. Combine the expo with a tour of the permanent collection or a walk around Museum Square.