Q issued the invitations, and the audience absolutely packed the historic Walhalla Theatre again: About 300 guests were eager to be part of the first agency event of Wiesbaden Design Days 2009 (Access all Areas). Following last year’s exploration of the boundaries of typography (a screening of »Helvetica« and a panel discussion of heavyweight participants), this year’s event focused only on Origami.

After brief keynote remarks from Wiesbaden’s mayor, Dr. Helmut Müller, Swiss origami artist Sipho Mabona appeared on stage. The internationally renowned paper folder from Lucerne creates paper sculptures that are regarded as real masterpieces even in Japan, the home of origami. Mabona told Q director Thilo von Debschitz how he became a paper folder, how he creates his complex works, and what inspires him to spend many hours per day folding paper.

After presenting the Asics TV commercial Pursuit of Perfection, the artist allowed a view behind the curtain and described how he worked with the agency, Nordpol, to create the award-winning spot based on his specially created origami figures (such as tiger, sports shoe, or squid).

The evening continued with the European premiere of Between the Folds, a US documentary about ten people who dedicate their lives to the artistic or scientific examination of paper. The images captured by Vanessa Gould on her travels around the globe are nearly poetic, and the New York director travelled to Wiesbaden for the event, where she personally received the applause of the enthusiastic audience. In an interview after the screening, Gould told Thilo von Debschitz about the impact of paper folding and what she learned about positive transformation (not only regarding square sheets of paper, but also life in general) during the four-year film project.

The audience became enriched with new knowledge and impressions, and their perceptions of paper as an »every day« material were permanently changed. We thank our sponsors (Nassauische Sparkasse, Antalis, Licht & Ton, Walhalla Theater, and the City of Wiesbaden) for their generous support, and our visitors and the representatives of the press for the overwhelmingly positive feedback during and after the event!