TDC Exhibition “Means a lot to Vietnamese Typography”
The traveling TDC exhibitions play an important role in the international design community. This report on the recent exhibitions in Vietnam describes how they inspire designers and students by exposing them to contemporary typography from all over the world. Richard Moore, TDC liaison to Vietnam and former TDC Board of Directors member, writes:
The TDC exhibitions have a long history in Vietnam. The first exhibition appeared in Vietnam’s three largest cities over the summer of 1994, just before the US embargo was lifted, as part of a seminar and design workshop about the relationship of design and marketing that was organized by Richard Moore, a TDC member since 1982 , designer of TDC’s fourth exhibition catalog, past member of the BOD, and TDC’s liaison for Vietnam.
In 1994, Vietnam was just beginning to shift from a planned economy to the free market economy that is today prevalent in the country. Financially supported by Linotype-Hell at a time before the internet was common, for many of Vietnam’s young population the exhibition was their first comprehensive look at current communication design outside the country.
Following the tour, the exhibition contents were donated to one of the few schools teaching design at the time. Richard Moore reports that the dean of the school, which taught many art forms, such as fine art, ceramics and weaving, in addition to graphic design, told him: “Frankly, we have not emphasized our graphic design program because there are so few employment opportunities for graduating students.” Today there are numerous schools teaching communication design and designers and art directors are in high demand.
The TDC exhibitions continued for the next two years until Linotype-Hell’s sponsorship ended. Since 2011, the exhibitions have returned annually, organized by Richard Moore Associates, a New York City firm with offices in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City that focuses on brand identity development. Co-organizers of the exhibitions are the Goethe Institut, the cultural wing of the German Embassy, which furnishes the venue, and FPT Arena, a design school, which furnishes print production of the exhibition’s promotion materials and arranges for a team of students to help hang the show. This year, TDC 60 exhibited in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, an arrangement that is planned for future years.
The TDC exhibition venue in Ho Chi Minh City.
In Hanoi, the exhibition was on display at the Hanoi Goethe Institut’s exhibition space from an evening opening on November 20 through November 23. In Ho Chi Minh City, the exhibition appeared at the Ho Chi Minh Exhibition Center after an opening on December 12 continuing through December 15.
Unpacking and installing the exhibition in Ho Chi Minh City.
Student activities are associated with the exhibitions, such as a typography-based competition last year and a talk by professional designers this year.
Designers Talk Type event in Hanoi.
The attendance in Hanoi this year was about 500, low compared with past years for some reason, but the PR reach that described not only the exhibition but the TDC organization itself was quite extensive. Richard Moore Associates’ Facebook advertising for Hanoi reached over a million impressions and over three thousand unique clicks. Press coverage of the opening was good, including a few TV networks that reported on the event. The PR for HCMC was similar and attendance was quite high – over 1,200 attending.
Some typical comments from visitors were:
“This exhibition mean a lot to Vietnamese typography and is especially useful for students at the University of Industrial Arts. Thank you for organizing a specialized exhibition like this!”
“It’s so large, so deep, and I can’t breathe when I see all of them. I like it so much.”
There were 15 submissions from Vietnam for TDC 60.
