The Khatt Foundation is launching its third edition of the Typographic Matchmaking design research project, entitled “Typographic Matchmaking in the Magrhib” at the l’École Supérieure des Arts Visuels de Marrakech (ESAVM), with a symposium on multi-lingual type design for the Arabic, Latin and Tifinagh scripts.
Project curator: Huda Smitshuijzen AbiFarès
Assitant curator: Brahim Boucheikha
The symposium has been organized in collaboration with ESAV Marrakech,
It is open to the general public, free of charge, but reservation is recommended.
Please contact: contact@esavmarrakech.com
The goals of the Typographic Matchmaking projects are to nurture cultural dialogue and strive to find common grounds in the writing and design traditions across diverse cultures. In this third edition, a group of European (Dutch, Spanish, French) and Arab (Lebanese, Moroccan, Tunisian) designers will research and develop tri-script font families that will for the first time, combine the Arabic, Tifinagh and Latin scripts harmoniously. The fonts will be specifically designed during this project, and will be inspired by the long calligraphic traditions of both the Maghrib and the Andalus. The project studies older historical models of these scripts, and research their roots and origins, to develop contemporary designs that are culturally grounded.
Symposium Program
8.45 – 9.00 COFFEE/TEA
9.00 – 9.30 : Florence Robert (Chair of ESAVM design dept), & Brahim Boucheikha,
Welcome note & introduction of ESAVM’s Masters program in type design
9.30 – 10.00 : Huda Smitshuijzen AbiFarès, Introduction of Khatt Foundation and TMM3 project
10.00 – 10.15 Q&A
10.15 – 10.45 : Presentation by designers of their work,
Team I: Laura Meseguer & Kristyan Sarkis & Juan Luis Blanco
10.45 – 11.00 Q&A
11.00 – 11.30 : Presentation by designers of their work,
Team II: Andreu Balius & Salah Eddine Bellizi & Juan Luis Blanco
11.30 – 11.45 Q&A
11.45 – 12.15 : Presentation by designers of their work,
Team: Naïma Ben Ayed & Redouan Chetuan
12.15 – 12.30 Q&A
12.30 – 14.00 LUNCH
14.00 – 15.00 : Guest Presentation by Fouad Lahbib: La graphie Tifinaghe, genèse et évolution
(Tifinagh script: Origin and Evolution.In French)
15.00 – 15.15 Q&A
15.15 – 15.30 COFFEE/TEA BREAK
15.30– 16.00 : Guest Presentation by Mohamed El Bandouri: on Maghribi calligraphy
16.00 – 16.15 Q&A / Open discussion
16.15 – 17.45 Presentation by Juan Luis Blanco: Designing a multiscript font family (Arabic, Latin, Tifinagh)
17.45 – 17.30 Q&A
17.30 – 18.15 Presentation by Jan de Bruin: Screening of Typographic Matchmaking in the City film
18.15 – 18.30 Q&A
18.30 – 18.45 Wrap up
Project Partners: ESAVM (Ecole Supérieure des Arts Visuels Marrakech), Casa Árabe (Cordoba/Madrid), FramerFramed (Amsterdam), Mosaic Rooms (London).
The project has been made possible with the financial support of: Khatt Foundation, Lutfia Rabbani Foundation (The Hague), Allianz Kulturstiftung (Berlin), Creative Industries Fund NL, Fondation Susanna Bierdermann.
