Longread | Mark van Wageningen
In early July, designer Mark van Wageningen / Novo Typo undertakes a trip to Shenzhen in southern China to participate in the Unfold Art Book Fair, the Typography Fusion Sino Western Exchange conference and two workshops.
Unfold Art Book Fair is an art book fair where mainly Asian publishers and independent artists or designers present their new publications. Within China, it is the main platform to present new work and meet colleagues in the field. After a series of successful and very well-attended editions in Shanghai, this is the first edition in Shenzhen in mainland China. Shenzhen is a fascinating city located in Greater Bay Area, not far from Hong Kong, Macau and Guangzhou (the Chinese name for Canton). This very young city has grown from a fishing village to a state-of-the-art metropolis of millions within a period of 30 years. The average age of residents is 28 and the city is buzzing with energy.
‘If you want to know what China used to be like, you go to Bejing. If you want to know what China is like now, you go to Shanghai. If you want to know what China will be like in the future, you go to Shenzhen.’ This is a common expression in China.
This is the second time in a short time that I have visited the Greater Bay Area (the area where the Pearl River flows into the South China Sea). In January, at the invitation of the Chinese publisher of my book Type and Colour, I was in Shenzhen and Guangzhou for a series of presentations and workshops. It was then very nice to find that Chinese designers, publishers and cultural entrepreneurs are interested in my work and ideas. During this visit, the foundations were laid for new collaborations. My participation in the Unfold Art Book Fair is a result of this.
Unfold Art Book Fair
During the Unfold Art Book Fair, many new contacts were made with publishers, fellow designers and cultural entrepreneurs. As little English is generally spoken, I was able to receive assistance from two young Chinese design students who acted as translators and interpreters. It is a sign of respect when a conversation is conducted in Chinese. This made communication smooth and clear agreements were made immediately. According to Chinese custom, these agreements are gone through over elaborate dinners with frequent toasts to the friendship between China and the Netherlands. Tasting the diversity of delectable Cantonese cuisine was an unforgettable experience.
The Unfold Art Book Fair was very well attended. During three days, about seven thousand visitors came, causing long queues at times. It was amazing, and also quite honourable, to see the public’s willingness to wait for more than an hour. Public interest in the exhibitors’ work was very high. The intrinsic interest of Chinese partners in professional collaborations with foreign designers is fantastic and challenging to experience. In addition, it was also nice to see that a small exhibition The Best Dutch Book Designs 2023 was part of the fair. Dutch design and architecture culture, Dutch Design, is getting a lot of attention in China.
Workshop Type and Colour
A Type and Colour workshop for Chinese designers was organised after the four-day Unfold Art Book fair. For the Chinese designers, still somewhat unfamiliar with the Latin alphabet, it was a good introduction to Novo Typo‘s work. It was very nice to notice that all the designers had read the Chinese translation of the book Type and Color and now came from all over China to attend the workshop. For me personally, it was very interesting to learn the basic structure of Mandarin script and discuss the possibilities of a Chinese multi-colour font with the font designers.
Typography Fusion Sino Western Exchange conference
The workshop was part of the three-day Typography Fusion Sino Western Exchange conference, which was organised by SGDA (the Chinese variant of BNO). The third day of the conference saw presentations by five different designers. Three young designers from Hong Kong, Macao and Guangzhou, a very experienced designer from Bejing and myself showed their work and shared their experiences. Afterwards, there was a panel discussion on cultural differences and similarities within graphic design. It is very fascinating to see and discuss how these top designers from different cultural backgrounds approach and visually interpret the profession of graphic design. It was very honourable to be able to share my work, ideas and concepts with such a professional audience. I found it refreshing to experience and understand how these designers can visualise their tradition in a modern contemporary design approach while developing a personal signature. Contemporary China and Chinese (design) writing is a terra incognita which, as a (typo)graphic designer, I am keen to explore.
SWCAC, Sea World Culture and Arts Center
The Unfold Art Book Fair and the Typography Fusion Sino Western Exchange conference took place at SWCAC, Sea World Culture and Arts Center. The SWCAC is a beautiful building by Japanese architect Fuhimiko Maki. The centre is an interesting mix of museum culture: the Victoria and Albert Museum from London has an annex there, but also houses a number of concert halls, restaurants and shops. This mix makes it an intriguing building situated on a beautiful bayfront site with enchanting views. The SWCAC visualises a fascinating Chinese vision of how culture and commerce come together in one location.
Workshop XiaoYan Institute for Art and Design
Finally, a three-day workshop was given to students from the XiaoYan Institute for Art and Design. The young students were able to experience an introduction to Novo Typo’s work over three days. Again, it is very fascinating to see what kind of interpretation they, with their cultural background, give to the workshop. It is fun and educational for me as a designer to be able to work with this young generation of Chinese future designers. Once again, I am pleasantly surprised by their motivation to want to learn and their interest in other design approaches or cultures. The desire to learn and the openness to want to share knowledge is something I noticed again during the two workshops. I find this characteristic of all the people I met during my stay.
China is a very fascinating country, especially if you want to undertake collaborations with Chinese partners. The Chinese mindset is very different from the traditional European view of day-to-day business. It is important to realise that if you want to understand China and its people you must be prepared not to judge with ‘Western glasses’. A cooperation with a Chinese partner is based on mutual respect that goes far beyond a business agreement as is common in Europe. Mutual respect is the basis for cooperation between Chinese and Dutch designers. I believe we have a lot to learn from each other in many different areas.
China is a country that is slowly but surely opening up to travellers from Europe. The visa requirement for Dutch nationals has been abolished for trips of up to 15 days. This makes a visit very attractive, creating many opportunities for future collaborations. I met very many nice and interesting people and heard and discussed many different views. Such conversations shape me as a designer and as a human being. The possibilities and opportunities for collaboration offered by individuals and organisations in China are very great. I therefore hope to return often.
