Focus Typography

In 2019, Anežka Jabůrková initiated a series of events with a focus on Czech typography. The project was a cooperation between the Czech Center Vienna, the University of Applied Arts Vienna and Nachtasyl. The collaboration manifested itself in a series of three lectures called NeighborsTalk at the University of Applied Arts, a workshop for students of the University of Applied Arts and an exhibition at legendary underground club Nachtasyl in Vienna.

NeighborsTalk Vol. 1 – Karel Haloun

Eccentrics in Basement

October 17, 2019 at 7pm.

Eccentrics in Basement
Karel Haloun—Raymond Pettibon’s Czech counterpart—created the visual identities of numerous bands of the Czech underground. In Vienna, Karel Haloun will speak about the “alternative typography” at the time of censorship in totalitarian Czechoslovakia. Karel Haloun was convinced that “beautiful typography” most often emerged when people lied, deceived or attempted to influence. That’s the reason why he became fascinated with the aesthetics of Samizdat, and specifically the visual qualities of its DIY approach: stamps, typewriter fonts, stencils, xerography, etc. His book Excentrici v přízemí (Eccentrics in Basement) reflects his results in more detail.

NeighborsTalk Vol. 2 – Petra Dočekalová

New writing manuals

November 14, 2019 at 7pm.

Petra Dočekalová is currently writing her PhD dissertation at the Type Design and Typography studio at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design (UMPRUM) in Prague. There she focuses on script and handwriting typefaces. She studies their applications and overlap not only in the Czech context, but in the global context as well. She creates new morphologies, experimenting with the forms of individual letters and examining the possibilities of the hand as the calligrapher’s primary tool. In her script styles, she tries to actively revive the fading craft of sign painting, and to popularize the subject of cursive writing in primary and secondary schools. As part of her research, she would like to introduce a series of new writing manuals, which she hopes might replace the existing Czech writing standard that has been used in Czechia without any major changes for almost eighty years.

Petra Dočekalová spezialisiert sich in ihrer PhD Dissertation im Type Design and Typography Studio an der Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design (UMPRUM) in Prag auf Schreib- und handgeschriebene Schriften. Sie untersucht ihre Anwendungen und Überschneidungen nicht nur im tschechischen, sondern auch im globalen Kontext. Sie erschafft neue Morphologien, experimentiert mit den Formen der einzelnen Buchstaben und untersucht die Möglichkeiten der Hand als wichtigstes Werkzeug des Kalligraphs. In ihren Schriftstilen versucht sie, das verblassende Handwerk der Schildernmalerei wiederzubeleben und das Thema Schreibschrift in Grund- und weiterführenden Schulen bekannt zu machen. Im Rahmen ihrer Forschungen möchte sie eine Reihe neuer Schreibhandbücher vorstellen, die hoffentlich den bestehenden tschechischen Schreibstandard ersetzen könnten, der in Tschechien seit fast achtzig Jahren ohne größere Änderungen verwendet wird.

NeighborsTalk Vol. 3 Studio – OFICINA | Marek Cimbálník, Jan Netušil

Graphic design and typography in motion

December 3, 2019 at 7pm.

The nature and form of the contemporary visuality in which the individual’s field of vision is flooded with an endless amount of visual information, challenges us to seek clever ways to make the information of such visual-based messages simple and effective. Studio OFICINA tries to create untapped visual styles that can function on a multitude of platforms–on air, off air and online.

Studio OFICINA is a pioneer of motion design in the Czech Republic. The founders include Lukáš Fišárek, Marek Cimbálník and Vlaďka Cimbálníková Jan Netušil soon after became an indispensable member of the studio. In 2016, the Mouvo Festival was established, inviting the most important representatives of this field to Prague, thereby encouraging the establishment of networks between Czech and foreign experts in the field of motion design. Workshops with teachers from abroad are held on the MouvoLab platform.

Typography workshop with Petra Dočekalová

One of the most remarkable typographers in the Czech Republic – Petra Dočekalová prepared a workshop for the students of the Graphic Design Studio at the University of Applied Arts Vienna. In addition to an introduction to the history of Czech typography, the students were taught how to develop a new typeface.