The AEPM - Association of European Print Museums unites various organizations and individuals involved in the history of printing. They are united by the common goal of preserving, communicating and interpreting the art of printing and the graphic arts. After the Klingspor Museum, the Haus der Stadtgeschichte and the Druckwerkstatt im Bernardbau hosted an online conference last year, around 60 members met at the beginning of May at the invitation of the Atelier Museé Imprimerie in Malherbes, France. The Atelier Museé Imprimerie is one of the most machine-rich and diverse print museums in Europe, where the importance of print museums today was discussed in specialist presentations and discussions: the infrastructural and thematic range between large public museums and small private initiatives is considerable, but the future of printing in original graphic techniques in public spaces is believed in everywhere.
Presentations were also given by Stefan Soltek, President of the AEPM, and the Director of the Klingspor Museum, Dorothee Ader. She reported on her prospects for bringing the museum even closer to the wider community. According to Ader, this includes listening to what people expect from museums and encouraging interest in creative, active encounters with the collection through dialog. Both lectures are now available on the AEPM homepage (aepm.eu).
The Klingspor Museum and the Haus der Stadtgeschichte will continue to actively pursue their membership of the AEPM and "look forward to taking their audiences to the relevant places of printing across Europe."