This quick post is specifically aimed at our French(-speaking) readers. This afternoon I leave for Caen, France where I will participate in the international symposium on typography Lettres Modernes #2 tomorrow and Friday, March 27–28. By inviting type designers, researchers and artists, this free event offers two days of reflection on how the coexistence of traditional and digital media influence typography and its perception. Organised by Ésam Caen/Cherbourg as integral part of its research activities, the symposium is coordinated by French type designer and teacher Jean-Baptiste Levée, and partnered to the Graphic Arts festival of the University of Caen Basse-Normandie (ARG3). Besides a number of French speakers, Ésam also welcomes three international personalities – Dutch-born, Belgian-based type designer Fred Smeijers, American type designer Christian Schwartz, and German type expert and professor in typography Indra Kupferschmid. I will live translate their presentations on stage.
Thursday, March 27 2014
- Introduction by Jean-Baptiste Levée
- « Visible et lisible dans l’image en mouvement »
Karine Bouchy (FR), researcher and calligrapher - « La lisibilité, une construction historique »
Marc Smith (FR), paleographer - « Écran/Papier, quelles différences pour le lecteur ? »
Thierry Baccino (FR), professor in cognitive psychology - « La “lettrure”. Le lire et l’écrire des médias informatisés »
Emmanuël Souchier (FR), professor in information and communication sciences - « My text typefaces, une affaire de cœur »
Fred Smeijers (NL), type designer and typographer
Friday, March 28 2014
- « À bas “screen typography”, viva “typography onscreen” »
Indra Kupferschmid (DE), typographer and teacher - « Le texte et la mode »
Angelo Cirimele (FR), editor - « Merci à celui qui le lira »
Åbäke/Maki Suzuki (GB), editor, graphic designer and artist - « Making something out of something »
Christian Schwartz (USA), type designer - « Relevés d’écrits »
Philippe Artières (FR), historian
