Graphisme en France Issue 32

Published since 1994 by the Centre national des arts plastiques, Graphisme en France is aimed at graphic designers, commissioners, and students. Each issue explores a specific theme within graphic design.

This 32nd issue is dedicated to the book—an object of particular importance for graphic designers, both for the inspiration it provides, the transmission it enables, and the tool it represents. Through complementary approaches, the collected contributions examine the book from different perspectives: its most minimal forms, its materiality, its modes of circulation, as well as the attention given to specific editorial formats.

Download the issue (PDF, 19 MB)

The contributions in this issue:

• Gabriele Čepulytė (researcher, lecturer), building on her doctoral work, examines the positioning of text in relation to graphic design through contemporary examples. Through so-called “white” books, she questions the minimal conditions that define a book, showing that it cannot be reduced to its content alone but also relies on its materiality and the projections it generates. She thus highlights the role of graphic design as a producer of meaning, situating the book within a network of references and practices, and proposes to consider it at the intersection of transmission, production, and projection.
• Vincent Tuset-Anrès (art director, exhibition curator, graphic designer, and publisher) shares the results of his research on publishing in Japan, from the materiality of the book to its circulation and uses, conducted during his residency at the Villa Kujoyama. He examines the singular place of the book in Japanese artistic practices, where it is often seen as a form of culmination. By observing its material dimensions, modes of distribution, and uses, he highlights how sometimes minimal variations—in format, production, or handling—reveal broader cultural, aesthetic, and conceptual issues.
• Jérôme Knebusch (designer, publisher, and researcher) discusses the inspiration he draws from historical collections and presents current editorial projects that have captured his professional attention. He reflects in particular on his attachment to small formats, inherited from paperback books, which condense research into short yet demanding texts. These objects, both light and dense, often conceived as simple booklets, acquire a strong individual identity while forming part of a collection logic, which he likens to the pamphlet form.

The graphic design was entrusted to Sarah Fenrich, a 2023 graduate of the École européenne supérieure d’art de Bretagne. In line with the issue’s theme, the designer chose to create an object that breaks down the different components of the book, revealing its sensory dimensions.

The texture of the cover and the flexibility of the object engage a tactile experience. Removable and perforated, it offers a glimpse of the interior and reveals its raw structure. The object thus invites both reading and handling, functioning as both a space for reading and a tangible object. The layout takes into account the diversity of the texts and their constraints, while the images broaden their context.

The typeface Louize, a contemporary reinterpretation of Augustaux designed by Matthieu Cortat, is rooted in the history of French typography while extending it. Its use helps construct a harmonious page, where the typeface Venus+Acier, designed by Jonas A. Renaud, acts as a counterpoint.