To Mark the 12th IAAF World Championship in Athletics, Berlin 2009, 125 Years of Sport Photography to Be Displayed on Berlin's Boulevard "Unter Den Linden" from 23rd July - 23rd August

TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As Official Partner of the 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics, Berlin 2009, Epson in cooperation with the non-profit organisation Kulturprojekte Berlin GmbH, will be transforming Berlin’s finest street “Unter den Linden” into a huge open-air photo exhibition during the largest sporting event in the world this year. Over 60 photographic works taking athletics as their subject will adorn the boulevard from Glinkastrasse to Pariser Platz and help put visitors in the mood for the major sports competition. The open-air exhibition represents a further step in Epson’s long-standing involvement in the area of sports and photographic arts.

The almost two-metre high sports images will accompany the World Championship spectators on their way to Berlin’s KulturStadion® which is being temporarily set up at Pariser Platz. Several of the outstanding track and field related artworks by, among other renowned photographers, Annie Leibovitz and Robert Lebeck, will explore the beauty of motion in sports as personified by individuals from many nations. The exhibition offers a cross section of 125 years of athletic sports, as well as an overview of 125 years of photographic history.

To ensure high-impact, high-quality, memorable prints the 200cm x 135cm images will be printed on an Epson Stylus Pro GS6000 large format printer. The 64” roll to roll printer ticks all the boxes in terms of photo-realistic imaging, even when working with more robust materials like adhesive vinyl and canvas. Its eco solvent-type inks not only give superb, intense and natural colour but are UV and water resistant. This printer will complement a wide range of Photographic and Fine Art papers certified for the Epson Digigraphie® program, which allow photographic artists, painters and museums to produce limited, certified editions of original works of art.

Andrea Koepfer, Manager Corporate PR & Sponsoring EMEA, Epson Europe, said: “The exhibition will portray the eventful history and beauty of track and field athletics, and will also hopefully provide the athletes here in Berlin with a bit of inspiration. Athletic sports require from speed, refined technique and high precision - qualities that also characterise our printers.”

Jordi Borralleras, Market Development Manager LFP, Epson Europe, also indicated: “We are very proud to be collaborating with Kulturprojekte Berlin GmbH. The quality of the photography is exceptional and it’s well worth taking the time to visit the exhibition if you’re in Berlin during the championships. We have used our new high quality outdoor printer, the Epson Stylus Pro GS6000 to create very high quality reproductions of some incredible images. It’s the only printer in the market that can offer the degree of photographic quality this exhibition deserves.”

“Epson has supported the IAAF since 1997 as its Official Partner. However, the company’s close bond to sports and culture actually reaches much deeper into the past: For the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo, the Seiko Group developed the electronic timing printer, which brought chronometric results to paper. This device led to the development of the world’s first mini-printer, the EP-101, and to the birth of the Epson brand.”

Technology makes it happen – on and off the stage
As official information technology partner to the 2009 World Championships in Athletics, Epson will supply critical technology including the latest in high precision touch screen commentator information systems (CIS), the Epson performance evaluation system (EPE) and high speed, high performance printers. These state-of-the-art Epson systems will enhance the performance of commentators, journalists and athletes by giving them instant access to performance data, statistics and results at the touch of a finger.

About Epson
Epson is a global imaging and innovation leader that is dedicated to exceeding the vision of customers worldwide through its compact, energy-saving, high-precision technologies, with a product lineup ranging from printers and 3LCD projectors for business and the home, to electronic and crystal devices. Led by the Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation, the Epson Group comprises over 70,000 employees in 108 companies around the world, and is proud of its ongoing contributions to the global environment and the communities in which it operates.

http://www.epson.co.jp/e

About Epson Europe
Epson Europe B.V., based in Amsterdam, is the Group’s regional headquarters for Europe, Middle-East, Russia, and Africa. With a workforce of 2,400 employees, Epson Europe’s sales for fiscal year 2008 were 1,569 million Euros.

www.epson-europe.com

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