PARIS.- To accompany its international development strategy, from May 1st 2016,
Artcurial is using its new visual identity.
The revised branding was created by the graphic design studio, Yorgo&Co, headed by Yorgo Tloupas, which was also in charge of the launch of the French Vanity Fair and the Libération paper and its supplement magazine, Next.
An exclusive typography: the Artcurial style
Yorgo&Co’s team reworked Artcurial’s logo for the third time (it was invented in 1970 by Vasarely and modified in 2002 by Jean Grisoni.)The elegant and graphical typography was especially created and is called Austin Artcurial and features slanted letters, illustrated by the capital A of Artcurial. A second typography called l’Atlas Typewriter was added for the technical and informative details. A new logo has also been invented and is inspired by Op art. It symbolises the rise in prices during an auction. This simple and minimalist pictogram depicts the essential activity of the auction house.
The catalogues benefit from the same breath of fresh air and from now on they feature several works on the cover with a contemporary and elegant format mirroring a stylish magazine. The catalogues are key communicative tools which Artcurial has already innovated, notably in 2009 when it introduced the tabloid format for the mid-season auctions.
When Yorgo Tloupas graduated from Penninghen, he started collected album covers especially from record labels such as Barclay, Universal and East-West. Coming from the colourful and vibrant skate and snowboard scene, Tloupas was initially attracted by the sleek and minimalist style where typography stands out. His curiosity lead him to work on various projects from electronic music flyers to visual identity for brands such as Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche, Armani, Lacoste, Castelbajac, Et Vous and Shu Uemura. He also worked on the Kenzo fall/winter collection for 2002/2003. His inventive soul and the precise way he works have allowed him to participate in many exhibitions and conferences around the world from France to Brazil, Japan, Mexico and Switzerland. After a brief spell in London where he founded the magazine, Intersection, Tloupas returned to Paris and created his studio with Emmanuelle Baudet in 2011. His first clients included Lacoste, Kamel Mennour, Condé Nast, Fondation d’entreprise Galeries Lafayette, Martell, Cartier, Louis Vuitton, Hennessy and Black CrowsIl. He enriches his love of typography and print through his work with key titles from the French media including Vanity Fair, Libération, Next… The Independent Publishers Awards elected him ‘Designer of the year’ in 2003.
“Artcurial continues its rise and confirms its prestigious status both in France and abroad. The evolution of our visual identity is an important step in the international development of our company. The work carried out by Yorgo Tloupas and our team allows us to present a new, daring vision of our work.” state Nicolas Orlowski Chairman & CEO of Artcurial, and François Tajan, Deputy Chairman of the Auction House.
Yorgo Tloupas explains: “I had a mission to create a new logo for Artcurial and to project the auction house into a new era. It was essential not to loose Artcurial’s existing identity forged over the past 15 years but to add new classical references. I wanted to reconnect the image of Artcurial with its artistic activity and French roots and insist upon the established reputation and its leading place on the international Art market scene.”
