Future Text – Athens 2019
Future Text is an academic research platform focused on text-based communication across cultural, international and interdisciplinary fields.
During the Athens week we would like to focus on contemporary contexts of textual communication within the frame of Greek language and possibly in dialogue with other alphabets.
Through time, in a variety of mediums, tools, scripts, reading processes, the shape and function of the written word is ever changing inventing new ways to express social and cultural shifts. In today’s environment, the typographic form of the written word is yet again challenged by the structural diversity of its surroundings making way for more flexible typographic signs that permit contextual modifications. Historical research may prove to be a valuable source of inspiration for exploring the concept of fluidity and individuality (personal writings, custome made scripts) of the typographic form by revisiting similar approaches which can be found on past practices or on non latin scripts. Such is the case of the greek typographic samples of the renaissance, which incorporated a broad selection of alternate forms, ligatures and abbreviations on a single printed page.
Reflecting on the past together with analysing new forms of text-based communication can provide critical thinking and help us pose the right questions and problematics on current and future technological advances, their design directions and in communication itself.
Irene Vlachou & Laurence Penney
Variable fonts: responsive/animated/flexible/efficient typography
11–15.11
An introduction to variable font technology and the capabilities of the new format. How this new technology is affecting the future of typographic expression and practice across media. We will see examples of variable fonts in real projects, from branding to UI, and in more experimental applications. Scope of the workshop is to discover the connection of this technological development to the typographic disciplines, rediscover kinetic typography and the connection to animation. The workshop will cover everything from hand drawing, to digitising letterforms and graphics, to the writing of CSS code. The students will create their own typographic expressions by developing a variable font.
FULL DESCRIPTION & REQUIREMENTS
Georgios D. Matthiopoulos - Constantina Politimi Zerdeva - Brikori
Greek ligatures revisited (Byzantine Calligraphy workshop)
11–15.11
As the current technology allows the co-existence of formality and self-expression, long forgotten practices of written communication may resurface through the resurrection of calligraphic practices. The workshop will focus on introducing to the participants the basic tools and skills involved to produce a simple majuscule and a miniscule Byzantine alphabet. Each student will then experiment in forming a number of simple ligatures involving two or three letters at a time and thus produce a legible to all yet individual set of characters. Patience, perserverance and insipiration are always the key ingredients to success and artistic satisfaction.
FULL DESCRIPTION & REQUIREMENTS
Eva Masoura
Greek type design experiments
11–15.11
Participants of the workshop will be experimenting with the shapes and structure of greek letterforms through their exposure to historical artefacts. They will be introduced to the basic principals of greek type design and its challenges, (repetition of design elements, terminals, contrast, direction of stress) by exploring various ways of critically implimenting research into design practice. The collection of resources is drawn from lesser known formal scribal hands (9th-12th century) and on informal hands of the 19th century. Viewing and understanding resources in their historical context as an informed way to experiment and make design decisions and is a key focus point of the workshop.
FULL DESCRIPTION & REQUIREMENTS
Tomasz Walenta
Posterrorism 2020 – Poster Workshop
07–10.11
The objective of this workshop is to develop the comprehension of the creative context and process involved in the conception of a poster. The workshop will be based on the Posterrorism 2020 international poster competition theme. Each student will be asked to implement theoretical and practical knowledge in the objective of creating a powerful poster.
