Ricardo Vega takes part in the book “45 Symbols—Clay to Code” about the Phaistos Disc, the famous archaeology mystery

How artists and designers develop systematic approaches to visual language: this is the question that guides the work behind “45 Symbols: Clay to Code”, the book in which Ricardo Vega takes part, professor at the UC School of Design, collaborator at DiLab (UC School of Engineering), and PhD student at IMFD.

Directed by designer and Parsons professor Pascal Glissmann, the book brings together works from artists and designers around the world, who visually reinterpret the graphics of the Phaistos Disc, one of the most enigmatic objects in the history of archaeology and media.

This disc, which is 3,700 years old, bears 45 distinct symbols still undeciphered, and they have served as inspiration for these experiments in visual grammar.

45 Symbols—Clay to Code explores how emerging artists and designers develop systematic approaches to visual language. From personal narratives to global issues, the works presented demonstrate how an original visual grammar can be constructed.

Over the course of more than a decade, the international design seminars The Phaistos Project—Forty-five Symbols have evolved into a global community driven by open calls, workshops, exhibitions, and risograph publications. This volume, 45 Symbols—Clay to Code, brings together more than 2,000 symbols as the result of this collaborative effort. It stands not only as a living archive of research, but also as a testament to collective experimentation, bold visions, and the expression of intercultural dialogue.

The book is available for pre-order and will be shipped once published in January 2026 at https://www.slanted.de/product/45-symbols-clay-to-code/