Through 650 images drawn from the French National Institute for typographic research unpublished archives, this catalogue tells the untold story of a period of profound technological change, exploring the little-known world of typography design through a diverse selection of projects drawing on both an age-old craft tradition and the most radical innovation.
The Atelier National de Recherche Typographique (ANRT) was set up by the French government in 1985, in order to revitalise typeface design in France, a sector beset by problems. Its remit was soon extended to cover fields of typographical research and practice beyond type design proper. ANRT was initially housed at the Imprimerie Nationale and then at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, before moving to the Ecole Nationale Supérieure d'Art et de Design in Nancy. Between 1985 and 2006 the Atelier trained around a hundred students, contributing to a spectacular revival of French typography. After a six-year hiatus, it reopened at Nancy with a new team and a new research focus.
Published on the occasion of the ANRT's posters exhibition, French Ministry of Culture and Communication, Paris, from February 18 to March 3, 2016.
