Alexandre Wollner, Brazil (2014)
Alexandre Wollner (São Paulo, 1928) is a trailblazer in the Brazilian graphic design. In 1951, he joined the first class of the Instituto de Arte Contemporânea at the Museu de Arte de São Paulo (MASP), founded by Lina Bo Bardi and Pietro Maria Bardi. In the same year, he collaborated in putting together the retrospective exhibition of Max Bill (1908–94) at MASP. Between 1954 and 1958, he studied at HfG Ulm, an institution that would become a great influence, in the 1960s, for the first Brazilian design schools. In partnership with Geraldo de Barros, Ruben Martins, and Walter Macedo, he founded, in 1957, upon returning to Brazil, the first design company of the country, forminform, headquartered in São Paulo. He created the visual identity programs for many Brazilian companies, including Eucatex, Santista, Coqueiro, Klabin, Ultragaz, and Banco Itaú. Wollner authored Design visual: 50 anos, published by Cosac Naify in 2003, presenting a detailed overview of his professional trajectory.