A new space devoted to the work of the late Israeli designer Dan Reisinger has opened at 13 Abulafia Street in Tel Aviv’s Florentin neighborhood, giving the public access to his archives and original works. His son, Ilan Reisinger, said, “Father thought about the future of his creations, but only up to a certain point.” He added that passersby can now see the works and that new affordable prints have also been made from them.
Reisinger, who died in 2019 and won the Israel Prize, was one of Israel’s most influential graphic designers. Over about six decades he worked as a designer, artist and teacher, leaving a major mark on public life and on generations of students. He created tens of thousands of items, including posters, stamps, calendars, packaging, symbols and branding systems for major Israeli institutions, companies and organizations.
His style, shaped by Bauhaus and modernism, used strong Mediterranean colors and simple geometric forms. He designed many logos that became part of Israeli visual identity, including El Al, Arkia, Teva, Delek, Electra, Tambour, the Habima Theatre, the Israel Cancer Association, the Tel Aviv Museum and Israel Railways. Some of these were updated later, but his original visual DNA remains. He also created the Israel Defense Forces’ valor and courage insignia, along with sculptures and urban installations on the Tel Aviv promenade, at the Weizmann Institute and at Yad Vashem.
The new venue also functions as a carefully cataloged archive intended to preserve and present his work. Visitors can buy newly printed poster editions for 180 shekels each, or view and purchase originals that can cost thousands of shekels. The archive holds original historical posters for the Maccabiah, Habima and exhibitions, with the “El Al” series highlighted as a landmark of modern Israeli design.
The archive is also being used for new design projects. With designers Ben Natan and Neil Cohen and the National Library in Jerusalem, Hebrew letters Reisinger designed for firms such as Delek, Bank Leumi, Hotel Daniel and the Israel Festival were turned into complete digital fonts, six of which are now freely available on the “Fontia” website. Other tributes include a 3D pin based on his peace dove design by the Marcel Association for Contemporary Art and a large painted wall in Jerusalem by the street-art group Broken Fingaz.
