Messages/Images

From May 19 to June 9, 2025, as part of the Chaumont International Graphic Design Biennial, the Centre national des arts plastiques (Cnap) presents sixteen posters from the national commission Messages/Images: Design for the Public Good.

The result of a partnership between the Cité internationale de la langue française and the Cnap, initiated on the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of the review Graphisme en France, this commission invited graphic designers to engage with words and combine them with images, turning them into carriers of civic and responsible values. It promotes the principles of what is known as design for the public good: a meaningful, demanding form of graphic design, dedicated to serving the collective good and fostering coexistence, tolerance, and inclusion.

The sixteen posters created by the commission’s selected designers reflect their sensitive perspectives and concerns in response to the tensions of today’s world. Through their diversity of form and tone, they explore themes such as inclusion, democracy, fraternity, the role of language and storytelling in shaping our identities. They emphasize the urgency of building a more compassionate society and challenge us to reflect: What do we choose to see? What do we prefer to ignore? How can we reclaim politics through civic engagement? How can we imagine a fairer future?

Graphic design historian Vanina Pinter was invited to share her enthusiastic insights on these creations by writing texts to accompany each poster. She encourages us to think more broadly about the historical role of the poster, reminding us that from the French Revolution to May ’68, from feminist struggles to environmental activism, posters have been central to the history of our societies. France is one of the vibrant, unruly birthplaces of the illustrated poster. Since the late 19th century, designers have committed themselves to keeping this art form alive and accessible to all. A poster for the public good is not necessarily activist: through its clarity and precision, it can help us see more attentively, read more deeply, and foster a more mindful relationship with the world. It can create shared experiences. It can accompany us in our daily lives.

The sixteen posters on display are not mere images: each one is a civic project, a bearer of democratic values, created in an anxious societal context. As invitations to dialogue, they remind us that the poster is a powerful tool, intrinsically tied to freedom of expression. These images, which will enter public collections, are intended to circulate, to be shared, and to bring meaning, beauty, and poetry into our everyday lives.

Featuring : Doriane Baubiat - Clémence Michon, Zineb Benassarou, BRD, Bye bye binary, Tom Cazin, Dugudus, Filloque&Zammit (Nicolas Filloque & Adrien Zammit), Isabelle Jégo, Malte Martin, Gérard Paris-Clavel, Vincent Perrottet, Achim Reichert, Eddy Terki, Atelier Tout va bien, Vanessa Verillon et Toan Vu-huu.