Rencontres du Design Graphique

François Caspar invited to Marseille graphic designers from all over the world to share and exchange ideas with professionals, and not; for three days of discussions on the relationship between ethics and design.

The Villa Mediterranèe in Marseille, designed by Stefano Boeri, formed the perfect setting for “Rencontres du Design Graphique” from 15 to 17 July, three days of discussions about the relationship between ethics and design. It was the first edition of a small but significant event that presented over 250 works in “New York – Sarajevo – Marseille”, along with conferences, documentaries and even an open day for Marseilles graphic design studios around the streets of the city that was European Capital of Culture in 2013.

The conferences featured a number of guest speakers over the course of the three days: Cedomir Kostovic, Michael Grant, Francis di Tommaso, Mirko Ilic, Iwona Rypesc, Andrew Lewis, Stéphan Muntaner, Cedric Malo-Tabas, Nicolas Aubert.

“The idea of organising an event like this came to me some time ago”, explains François Caspar, graphic designer, president and co-founder of AFD (Alliance française des designers) and the association Moneydesign. “I have been travelling around the world for twenty years and seen a great many designers and presentations. I see the different ways my profession is approached and I came to realise that we share the same successes and the same frustrations. So I invited graphic designers from all over the world to share and exchange opinions with professionals and others, here in France”.

Rencontres graphique — Left: Ivan Chermayeff. Right: Marvin Mattelson

The exhibition presented two group shows alongside one another, Images Underground and Sarajevo 100 with 250 works by over 120 renowned graphic designers from all over the world, 100 emerging designers and students from 37 countries. The common thread was the wealth of cultural and artistic influences, with professional ethics coming together with personal ethics. From Europe these diverse currents at times left for the United States. In New York they contributed to the development of a style and approach that then spread across the whole world, a demonstration that today design, in a fully achieved globalisation of the idea, is fuelled by exchanges of ideas and opinions carried by the wind from every continent.

So why do we need to talk about ethics? According to the founder of the Rencontres, "It is important to talk about good practices that create respect in both artistic and business terms. In this way the idea of a close dialogue with the client is introduced that in turn has to be close to achieve a professional relationship that is fair and governed by quality and efficiency. This is the only professional ethical code for getting the best for both the designer and the client. We are finally mature enough to admit that designers have to find an approach to design that brings benefits to society and industry but that also values human and environmental wellbeing. Today there is a need for professionals who are governed by ethics as citizens”.

The Marseille event was also a chance to play homage to the icon of graphic design Milton Glaser, the father of the most imitated logo in the world I love NY and the famous Dylan poster, both featured in the exhibition. Les Rencontres dedicated to the Emeritus professor at the School of Visual Arts of New York the documentary, Milton Glaser: to Inform & Delight (directed by Wendy Keys, 2009), while he launched via video-conference from New York a worldwide environmental campaign.

“Glaser for example”, concludes François Caspar, “could have easily given up work a long time ago given his worldwide success, but moved by a strong sense of ethics, both as an artist and a citizen, he carried on and has now become a role model especially for new generations”.

Rencontres du design graphique

Rencontres du Design Graphique

François Caspar invited to Marseille graphic designers from all over the world to share and exchange ideas with professionals, and not; for three days of discussions on the relationship between ethics and design.

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