The No Collections
“A collection of pictograms that say no”
In 1995, I graduated from art school and travelled through Latin America. During my travels, I became interested in the variety of pictograms used on everyday packaging, such as ‘dispose of properly’ symbols – No Littering collection. I was struck by how many variations existed compared to the few standard designs I knew from home.
I began collecting them, gathering around fifty examples. This marked the beginning of my interest in graphic signage.
Over the following twenty-five years, I expanded the collection with packaging cut-outs and other pictograms, including ‘use no knife’ symbols – No Knife collection – taken from cardboard packaging. With the rise of digital photography, the collection grew further, including ‘no parking or else we tow away your car’ signs – No Parking collection.
The collection consists of a wide range of pictograms, from packaging symbols to warning signs. Small differences, variations and traces of use play an important role.
My interest lies in the continuous variation in graphic signage and in how simple instructions are repeatedly reinterpreted. I collect signs regardless of condition, wear or print quality, documenting them through photography wherever I am.
– Zander Dekker, Amsterdam 2026
