VIVE LA CHAUMONT!
by Aaris Sherin

For A-list designers, scores of students and a curious public, Chaumont, France, is the place to see and be seen on the first weekend in May. European designers look forward to this annual event, and it is not unusual to find people who have attended the festival’s opening weekend in excess of half a dozen times.

Among longtime visitors and competition participants, there is consensus that the quality of work and design of the exhibitions have greatly improved since artistic direction was taken over by former Grapus members Pierre Bernard and Alex Jordon in 2004. It was then that the festival embraced the more inclusive label “graphic arts,” a decision that has resulted in the addition of increasingly diverse media to the exhibition offerings. Dutch designer and former competition contributor Max Kisman observes, “They are trying hard to maintain a status quo. This year everything is really great quality.” When asked what a visitor can expect from the festival, he suggests, “You can see trends in graphic design that are going on right now, including both the work of better-known designers and emerging talent.”

(center) FROM LEFT: BORIS BUCAN, PETRICA KEREMPUH, 2006.CROATIA; JONATHAN PUCKEY, JEAN-MARC BUSTAMANTE, 2006.THE NETHERLANDS; ATELIER BUNDI, STEPHAN BUNDI, MEIN LEBEN ALS VERSAGEN, 2005.SWITZERLAND; ATELIER BLVDR, SILVIA FRANCIA, DANIEL KUNZI, LE RÊVE D’UN HOMME …, 2006.SWITZERLAND

FIRST VENUE: THE POSTER COMPETITION
It is in a converted military barracks, a short walk from the center of town, that 180 posters culled from over 2200 entries are exhibited. While the competition draws submissions from Iran, Russia, Japan, China and Colombia, the majority of work comes from European countries—with a mere two posters (both designed by Doug Minkler) representing the U.S. … and the scarcity of work by Americans may be as simple as a lack of submissions.

Nevertheless, this collection of large-scale posters is an immediate reminder that, in the U.S., we lack both the history and physical spaces for the poster to be a true cornerstone of design. This judgment may seem hasty to those who most often view work in magazines or annuals where posters are displayed out of context—on white pages and with uniform dimensions. However, any designer traveling to Europe will be struck by the widespread use of oversized posters as a contemporary means of visual communication. It is almost impossible to compare these riveting pieces with their U.S. counterparts, which tend to be fairly small and often double as event brochures or mailers.

When asked about the relevance of the poster as a communication medium, Swiss designer and second-prize competition winner Niklaus Troxler readily agrees that the environment in Europe is very different than it is in the U.S. “It’s really a shame,” he says, adding, “[poster design] really exists in Europe and is still alive.” Troxler explains that when he is in New York, colleagues will comment, “‘Oh, the poster is just a designer’s favorite work for himself.’ But I say no, in Europe it really exists and clients want to have posters. Especially in the cultural field they need posters to advertise and to communicate.”

(left) JACK USINE, TYPEFACES BANKRUTT, CONSUME AND ALUSINE FROM THE SMELTERY FONTS FOUNDRY

Festival organizers are sensitive to the cultural diversity represented by competition contestants, and they attempt to ensure that judging is fair and balanced by selecting international graphic designers to sit on the jury. This year’s jurors came from Argentina, France, Portugal, China, the U.S. and the Netherlands. Decisions were made by consensus rather than with ballots, and factors such as a poster’s ability to communicate across cultural boundaries and the environment in which the designer produced the work were considered.

Portuguese designer and juror Liza Ramalho observes that it is quite a challenge to put the work on a level playing field when the participants come from such varied backgrounds. Ramalho was inspired by both the contrasts and similarities between competition participants and jurors. “At this kind of event, I think it is interesting to see the differences between people, but also the points which are connecting them professionally and personally, given the very different kinds of lives that they lead.”

Another juror, Argentinean graphic designer Anabella Salem, explains that even though established designers took home almost all the prizes, jurors made a conscious attempt to evaluate the work without bias toward known or famous designers. “You always want to give new names the prize, to reward the young person or a person who comes from a place where everything isn’t so easy. Although we were very conscious of that, posters are posters, and they must still be judged on their individual merit.”

Read the full article in the Sept/Oct 2007 issue of Step inside design magazine.

Thanks to our friends at Jupiter Images for sharing this great info.