Sympoietic Arrangements
Platforms for engagement
with Mystery Guest art book
designer-publisher
“Sympoiesis is a simple word; it means making-with. Nothing makes itself; nothing is really auto-poetic, or self-organising….[Sympoiesis] is a word for worlding-with, in company.”
—Donna J. Haraway
Something to think about:’s upcoming project delves into collaboration between beings, a concept Donna Haraway described as sympoietic arrangements. We invited a Mystery Guest who is an award-winning Swiss-based art book designer and independent publisher. He will share his original, compelling work in a captivating image and sound installation he calls Educational Complex. Stta: is hosting a dynamic week of events with our guest, book-ended by two Blind Dates with local Toronto graphic design heroes; and two scheduled installation viewing days with the designer present.
We're withholding the identity of our Mystery Guest until after the two Blind Dates on October 3rd and 4th, which will bring him together with 3 Toronto graphic designers for a getting-to-know-you conversation in front of a small audience. The Toronto designers will likewise not know who they’re meeting! Join us for a spontaneous and unscripted experience; and what will surely be fascinating conversations between seasoned designers working with images, artists, and books.
“Everyone in a creative field is uncertain, even when you have a strong vision. If you don’t play it safe, you are always uncertain.”
—Swiss-based Mystery Guest
Platform I:
Blind Date
When:
Saturday, October 3rd, 2026 / 7:00PM
Sunday, October 4th, 2026 / 2:00PM
Venue:
Stta:’s cultural gathering space at Dundas St West and Dufferin St
Four graphic designers – from 2 continents – who have never met each other, have all agreed to participate in a Blind Date in front of an audience. What will happen? Will they like each other? Do they have anything to talk about? Will they come to blows? Will they hate each others work? Will they have chemistry? Will it be love at first sight?
This pairing of professionals in conversation will reveal them and their work to us live in an organic, unpredictable way. They are all up for an unconventional challenge, and open to learning something unexpected about themselves and their work in the process.
“My work is somehow to understand the intention of the artist, and to develop something that makes sense out of this intention. I ask them to write a statement, in advance, of their intention so I can help them be accountable to their work; and so they understand my decisions. I deal more with the personality of the artist than the work itself.”
—Swiss-based Mystery Guest
In a world in which we “know” everything about everything without even experiencing it – a film, a book, a meal, a city, a country, a sunset – why not embrace a little mystery? Walk into the unknown. Take a chance. Buy a ticket to a talk by mystery guests. Be surprised, delighted, enraged…. Have a real-life experience that hasn't been pre-digested and spit back out at you as easily consumed, smooth bytes of processed data for your distracted digestion.
“My collaboration with curators, artists, and educators was invaluable. It helped reinforce a respect for the integrity of artworks and the critical difference between designing with images and designing for images.”
—Local Mystery Designer, and Blind Date Guest
Mystery Guest
███ ███ is a designer and editor based in Baden,, Switzerland. In 2007, he founded the independent non-profit-oriented publishing house, ███,█, specialising in contemporary art and photography. Employing a highly collaborative, artist-centric approach, his work pushes conventional book production limits to emphasize the core essence of each project. ███ teaches and leads regular editing workshops on topics relating to design and publishing, and lectures at various art schools in Switzerland and abroad. His work, which has been recognised with numerous national and international awards, is testament to an independently minded, innovative vision that deeply enriches the publishing world. In 2023 he was awarded the ██████ Award, which recognises outstanding achievements in book design by an individual, group or institution.
Amongst those publishing in the field of art and photography books, ██████ is one of the very few to consistently push editorial projects to their limits. He is questioning standards in book production, challenging conventional formats and works always in close collaboration with the authors, photographers and artists. As a result, the ███ ███ titles stand out in the crowd of contemporary art books, for their sensibility for innovative book production and willingness to take risks. Publications are conceptually designed, industrially produced books with a fascinating attitude.
Local Mystery Guest and Blind Date Participant
███ ███ is a book designer, art director, visual editor and writer. His design practice emerged directly out of his experience as an artist and curator in the Toronto art community informing his approach of translating art objects to the printed spaces of books such as the exhibition catalogues and monographs he has designed for galleries and museums.
He has designed books on, by, and/or with: ███ █████ █ █████ ███ ██ ██ ███ ██████ M ██ a ██████ ███ ██ n ██ ███ █ y █ ██ █ ██ ██████ ████ ██ ███ █████ ████ ████ ██ ████ ██ █ ███ ██████ ██████ ████ ███ ███████ █████ ███ ██ █ ████ ██ ████ ██████ ████████ ██ ██ ██ ███ ██ ███ ██ ███ ██ ███ ████ ████ ██ ██ ██████ █ ███
In addition to his freelance practice he has held senior design positions at the ██ Gallery ████ ████ Magazine ████ ████ Design ██ ██ ███ █████ Museum████ Art ████ ███ ███ ███ ███. He currently works as an art director for ███ █████ ████ ███ ███ ████.
For the past several years he has been working on a personal book project exploring the seemingly inexhaustible visual and kinetic possibilities of the codex form. Models for what he calls his visual-novel-in-process were first presented at the conference ██ ██ ██ ██ █ ███ █████ ███, University of Amsterdam. His essay ██ █ █████ on the sequential and cinematic qualities of visual books was published in the ██ ██ ███ █████, adapted and expanded from the talk he gave at ██████ Society Awards for Excellence in Book Design in ████.
Local Mystery Blind Date
██ ███ is a full-service creative studio specializing in design and strategic communications. Partnering with leaders in the academic, medical, arts, architecture, and event sectors, the studio delivers clean, purposeful work across print, digital, and motion platforms – transforming complex ideas into compelling stories that endure.
█████ █████
Co-founder, █████ █████ & Design
████ ██████ has been shaping visual identities across Toronto and Amsterdam since 1999. He brings a thoughtful, strategic approach to typography, editorial layouts, and branding across diverse sectors, while also expanding █ █████ reach into digital design, interactive websites, and motion graphics.
████ █████
Co-founder, █████ █████ & Design
█████ █████ brings over 25 years of international design experience across Canada and Europe. Her work spans classic signage, distinct branding, editorial design, and digital platforms – infused with a clean, timeless aesthetic and moments of playfulness that keep client touchpoints engaging and memorable.
Platform II:
Sound Affects: an evening of spinning records & tales
When:
Thursday, October 9th, 2026 / 7:00PM
Venue:
Stta:’s cultural gathering space at Dundas St West and Dufferin St
Is there a track you’d love to play, with a story you’re eager to tell? Bring your vinyl to Stta: for a night of sharing, and we'll put it on our turntable! Participants will gather in the Stta: coach house for a collective sound experience. How and when you share your story is entirely up to you. Our Mystery Guest will get things started!
Platform III:
Educational Complex
When:
October 10th – 11th, 2026 / 12:00 - 4:00 PM
Venue:
Stta:’s cultural gathering space at Dundas St West and Dufferin St
During our Mystery Guest’s last week-end in Toronto, we will open our coach house so you can experience his sound and image installation, see a selection of his books, and meet the designer in person. It’s a special opportunity to meet and engage with one of the most original, accomplished art book designers in Europe.