From the creative communities of 17th century Paris to the Beat Generation in America, from Andy Warhol's Factory to the twenty first century, collaboration has always played an important role in art and design. Yet today we often find ourselves working in isolation. We collaborate only when necessary, becoming protective of our ideas and constantly comparing our work to the endless stream of images we consume online. It is easy to question our own creativity when we are exposed to so much visual information every day.

At the same time, news of violence, conflict, and social unrest has become part of our daily lives. For some, these images are distant headlines. For others, they are personal experiences. From protests in Hong Kong, Chile, and Greece to the ongoing war in Syria, violence affects people in different ways, both physically and psychologically.

This workshop was created as a response to those realities. It encouraged collaboration, experimentation, and collective making while using the theme of violence as a starting point for discussion and creative expression.

Participants from different countries each brought a photograph or design of their own. These works were then combined through the risograph printing process to create a series of collaborative posters. Instead of carefully aligning the layers, the prints were intentionally overlaid at random. This unpredictable process reflects the visual chaos of riots, damaged posters, and the overlapping messages found in public spaces.

Risograph printing was chosen because of its unique balance between human decision and mechanical chance. Every print is slightly different, allowing unexpected compositions to emerge through experimentation rather than control.

The workshop was ultimately about creating for the sake of collaboration and exploration, while producing work that also reflected the uncertainty and complexity of the world around us.

Participants
Ayue Wu
Boyana Gerzilova
Cheng-Yang Hung
Judy Jow
Katy Austin
Megan Newton
Tsai-ling (Judy) Chu

Many thanks to everyone who took part and made this project possible.