
Democracy Dies in Darkness: Book in 2 languages and 3 formats for Brandstätter Verlag and Clemens Pig, CEO of APA—Austrian Press Agency
Visual concept
Design and typesetting
Infographics
Advertisements and event assets
Book presentation and cocktail reception
With Clemens Pig (author, Chairman of the Board of directors and CEO of APA—Austrian Press Agency, President of EANA—European Alliance of News Agencies), Nikolaus Brandstätter (publisher, CEO of Brandstätter Verlag) and Maria Scholl (Deputy Editor-in-Chief of APA—Austrian Press Agency), hosted by Alexandra Wachter (ORF—Austrian Broadcasting Cooperation), 08/09/2023, APA-Pressezentrum
Photos: APA-Fotoservice / Ludwig Schedl
Iconography: Torchbearers of Democracy
The torch as a symbol of democracy and the transfer of information, as a symbol of enlightenment, truth and freedom, especially in historical contexts such as the French Revolution, as a symbol of the dawn of a more democratic society, in Austria Karl Kraus called the magazine he published “Die Fackel” ("The Torch")
In the context of this book, the torch also stands for the achievements of human civilization, from fire to artificial intelligence, both of tremendous use—if you know how to use them sensibly, it stands for the positive side of the problem, for the light in the dark, in where democracy is dying: The book offers a solution
The binary code inscribed in the flame (the extended subtitle) and the lines forming a horizon (constructed with the help of an Adobe Illustrator script created via ChatGPT prompt) also connect creatively to current APA topics such as AI and digitization
Colour: verdigris, green pigment, natural, protective copper patina of many historic Viennese roofs, but also of the Statue of Liberty