RISOMA – Riso printing exhibition

Lisbon based design studio and print shop Desisto is hosting the international exhibition RISOMA, dedicated to Risograph printing. The project draws a living, shifting map of a global network of creators – printers, designers, artists, poets, and musicians – united by a shared passion for this artisanal and experimental technique. Conceived as a celebration of collective practices and the tactile nature of printed images, RISOMA highlights simple gestures – printing, folding, gluing – that carry deep meaning.

The Systm font family shapes the exhibition’s graphic identity. Developed by Blaze Type, this modular type system is built from two basic components – a square and a quadrant – laid out on a strict grid. Its design references brutalist architecture, early interface systems, pavement patterns, and more broadly, any grid-based approach to graphic design. Within the context of RISOMA, Systm embodies a contemporary, radical, and rigorous aesthetic, without ever losing the playful spirit of typographic experimentation.

Alongside contributions from dozens of riso studios worldwide, RISOMA also presents a series of posters by twelve guest artists, as well as a complete educational program ranging from Riso fundamentals to advanced editorial practices. This exhibition isn’t just about printing – it’s about networks, happy accidents, DIY culture, autonomy, and the joy of making. With its modular logic and strong visual presence, the Systm typeface perfectly extends this graphic manifesto. It becomes the visual language of a movement that prints its ideas as much as it spreads them.

The accompanying sans serif used for all information is Area, see comments.