Blank Blank is a design studio based in Oslo. Blank Blank works on graphic design commissions and independent projects, as well as on films. Blank Blank has been in charge of the overall visual communication of Bergen Kunsthall and created visual identities and printed matter for a number of other institutions, such as Ekko Festival for electronic & experimental sounds, Oslo Art Weekend and Norwegian Sculpture Society. It has also designed publications for artists including Richard Tuttle, The Otholith Group, Cerith Wyn Evans, and Joachim Koester. Blank Blank’s publications range from text-based monographs to elaborate artist books, each constituting a unique project that has been developed in close collaboration with artists and editors and published by international publishers, such as Sternberg Press, Koenig Books, and Lord Jim Publishing, to name a few. Fascination with books and print making has furthermore resulted in several self-published projects and exhibitions, such as the artist book series B.L.A.D. in collaboration with Fett Burger. Music is a key influence in Blank Blank’s work. Aside from releasing records under the name Muscle Temple Records and Magnetic North, Blank Blank has designed album covers, produced films, and built audio visual installations and experiments in collaboration with musicians.
What is B.L.A.D.? Literally “blad” is the Norwegian word for “leaf”, and a “leaf” is a magazine, therefore B.L.A.D. must be a magazine, with a “blad” on the cover, a “blad” inside the packaging, and across its many internal “blads” there have been featured a wide range of illustrators and topics, and once even nothing at all.
The concept is simple; provide an artist or a topic with a surface that fits in your pocket, lovingly offset-printed in a secret basement and spread it around to anyone who would like to have a look inside. Since its humble beginnings in 2009 the zine has spread across the world and reached a double-digit number of issues, bringing its weird and wonderful content, created by the likes of Vilunki 3000, Ian Stevenson, Rat Salad, Hungry Radke and more, to far-flung corners of the world, and now even beyond, thanks to a new distribution deal with Motto! Berlin.
Publication Series
Design: Blank Blank
Year: 2009 – Present
Editors: Sex Tags & Blank Blank
Pages: Variable
Softcover: 95 x 145 mm
