letterspace Spring-Summer 1999
As we rapidly approach the new millennium, TDC continues to travel its exhibits worldwide. 1998 has been a busy year. TDC44 and the first annual Type Directors Club Typeface Design Competition, TDC2, traveled with the assistance of the TDC Liaisons in their hosting countries.
There are six traveling exhibits. One in U.S. which opens during the summer months and remains until early September in the Arthur Houghton Gallery at The Cooper Union. This year there were two openings, one on the West Coast and the other on the East Coast. The exhibit was on display in conjunction with fuse98 in San Francisco at the office of Jennifer Sterling Design; it then traveled to San Diego for the How Design Conference and then to Kansas City, Missouri to Hallmark Cards. This was reported in the last issue of this newsletter.
In October TDC44 and TDC2 were on display in Paris and then at ATypI in Lyon, France. It was exhibited in the Palais de Congrès with the assistance of the the L'École de Communication Visuelle. Christopher Dubber, Signum Art, is the French Liaison, and was responsible for the exhibit shown in Paris, with sponsorship of Zanders Feinpapiere and Agfa, from November 16-20.
The Japan Typography Association has been busy traveling the exhibit which started June 10th through June 18 in Ginza Itoya. From November 9 through 13, it was displayed in the Heiwashigyo Gallery.
Bertram Schmidt-Friderichs, Verlag Hermann Schmidt Mainz publishing house, the German Liaison, reported that TDC44 was exhibited during the International Frankfurt Book Fair; the opening of the German Design Council, and during the opening of Typomedia, a type conference organized by Linotype Library. Two additional presentations took place in Nuremburg and in Saarbrücken, the capital of the German Land, Saarland. The opening speech was made by the new governor of the state, Reinhard Klimmt. Normally politicians just give their name for such events, or send an assistant to greet the attendees, but, Mr. Klimmt was a real homme de lettre, collector of fine and rare books and was really interested in the theme. He promised to present the show every year. Munich and Dusseldorf are the next stops of the fully-scheduled exhibitions.
Erich Alb, Swiss Liaison reported that TDC had its initial opening featuring TDC44 was for several weeks at the Schule für Gestaltung (Design School) in Berne. Bertram Schmidt-Friderichs from Germany organized the show together with the Swiss Printers Union. There were about 200 visitors at the opening party. The show was beautifully arranged by Klaus Pressmann from the School and a team of unemployed designers. The school building had two large floors which gave plenty of room for browsing through the high-quality international exhibition.
Mr. Alb stated that a group gathered during the opening to talk about typefaces and design, and of course enjoy the wine, beer, cheese and good Swiss bread.
There is the possibility of an exhibition in Lucerne, before continuing to Essen, Germany.
Richard Moore, has been responsible for exhibiting in Hanoi, Vietnam. the exhibit was shown in the 29 Hang Bai Gallery. It will travel to Mark Simkins, Simkins & Smart, Sydney, Australia.
Felix Beltran, Liaison from Mexico has been busy traveling TDC43 which appeared in the Codice Gallery, in December, 1997. From March 30 through April 13; it appeared in the Artis Gallery and had a round table with Rodrigo Fernandez, Fernando Garcia, Miguel Hirata, Domingo Martinez, and Ignacio Peon. The year was completed with the exhibit at the Habitat Gallery in San Luis Potoisi from November 23 through December 7.
Our TDC members who are Liaisons (representatives for their countries), are always busy exhibiting and traveling the winners of the tdc annual competitions and working with publications to feature articles. Their work is appreciated by the organization. These exhibitions spread the word about the Type Directors Club. It is a credit to them that the tdc and its competition is truly international and achieves world renown.