2026 | Lecture

Johannes Strugalla

HOW CAN ARTISTIC WORK CONTRIBUTE TO THE DEBATE ON DEMOCRACY?

Thursday, October 1, 2026, 7:00 p.m.

Since 1983, Johannes Strugalla has been printing and publishing artist prints and poster poems that take a social and political stance through the Mainz-based Edition Despalles. Text and design come together in works that invite both contemplation and substantive engagement with their content.

As part of PARTI-zipation IX, Strugalla will present selected works and discuss the ways in which artistic practice can contribute to democratic discourse.

The event takes place as part of the Franco-German exhibition project PARTI-zipation IX and is open to the public.

Johannes Strugalla is an artist, graphic designer, typographer, and book designer. Born in 1943 in Lüben, Silesia, he lives and works in Mainz, Paris, and southern France. He studied art education, art history, philosophy, and Romance languages in Mainz, as well as fine arts in Paris, specializing in drawing and printmaking.

In 1982, he co-founded the German-French publishing house Despalles éditions with Françoise Despalles. In their mostly bilingual artist’s books, literature, imagery, and typography engage in a close dialogue. Today, these editions are held in numerous international collections, including the Harvard University Library, the Bancroft Library in Berkeley, and the Saxon State Library in Dresden.

In addition to his work on artist’s books, he creates drawings, woodcuts, prints, and poster poems. Strugalla has taught courses and led workshops at universities in France and the United States and has been featured in solo and group exhibitions internationally. To mark his 80th birthday, the Gutenberg Museum in Mainz honored him in 2023 with the special exhibition “Johannes Strugalla—A Book Artist from Mainz.”

Photo © Johannes Strugalla |