Book Launch – On Crossings: Design, Language, Experience
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11.10.2026
Minami Hirayama
How do everyday objects speak to us? This book consists of conversations with six designers. Minami Hirayama asked them to talk about an object that could be associated with the term ‘cultural representation’. From that point of origin, the conversations spiralled into a wealth of topics, all bearing on design practices, personal experience, and the political and emotional aspects of working in the field of design. The interviewees are: Limestone Books, Kristyan Sarkis, Growing Pains, Werker, Ruben Pater and Mirelle van Tulder. The book was made by Minami Hirayama.
In this book event, Minami invites two of the interviewees, Chen Jhen (Limestone Books) and Mirelle van Tulder (ROOTS TO FRUITS), to revisit their conversations in the book. In addition, three of them will share their thoughts on cultural representation in visual communication design, some of their latest projects since the book interviews, and the joy and challenges of self-publishing.
Minami Hirayama
Visual communication designer and environmental activist, based in Copenhagen. She studied communication design at Tama Art University in Tokyo, completed MA in graphic communication design course at Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Denmark. She has written two books, “With Dilemmas From The Future: What can graphic designers do in the era of climate crisis?” (2022), “On Crossings: Design, Languages, Experiences” (2026).
Chen Jhen (Limestone Books)
Designer and visual artist based in Taiwan and the Netherlands. Chen's recent works examine the representation of colonial oppression in contemporary society through books and multimedia. She was a participant of the Jan van Eyck Academie from 2018 to 2019. She is also one of the founders of the platform “Limestone Books” in Maastricht.
Mirelle van Tulder
Artist, researcher, and designer. She is the founder of Roots to Fruits, an independent publishing house and seasonal magazine dedicated to exploring decolonial sounds. The core of her work is the search for stories that foster dialogue around the power structures that shape graphic design and art history. She holds a M.A. in Fine Art and Design from Werkplaats Typografie.
The session will feature a presentation of the book by its editors, Fernando P. Ferreira and Daniel Duarte Pereira from Space Transcribers, followed by a conversation with Bruno Alves Almeida, curator at Jan van Eyck Academie and a contributor to the book, and Ana Resende, designer of the publication.
Space Transcribers is an architecture research practice based in Braga, Portugal, co-founded in 2015 by Fernando P. Ferreira and Daniel Duarte Pereira. Their practice brings together architecture, art, and curatorial work through installations, workshops, performance, publishing, and writing, exploring relationships between the built environment, communities, and ecosystems. In 2023, they were part of the Fertile Futures project that represented Portugal at the 18th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia. In 2025, they curated Counter-Kiosk, Shopyard, and Forma da Vizinhança as part of Braga 25, Portuguese Capital of Culture. They currently teach at EAAD – University of Minho and the Vilnius Academy of Arts. https://www.spacetranscribers.com/