@phdthesis{01J90RP17H010Q7AZAH15NA3T4,
  abstract     = {{Off the Grid: Activating Belgian Graphic Design Histories

Sara De Bondt


Off the Grid is a PhD in the arts focusing on Belgian graphic design history and its relevance to the field today. Grounded in archival research, it activates the histories it uncovers through writing, curating, designing, and publishing. 

The research sheds light on the understudied and under-collected histories of Belgian graphic design, particularly those between the end of World War II and the advent of the personal computer in the mid-1980s. It aims not only to enrich the knowledge and appreciation for graphic design produced in Belgium during this period but also to probe how these historical practices continue to shape contemporary graphic design. In so doing, it proposes novel ways to share and teach these histories through accessible graphic design archives, collections, and public programming.

Off the Grid deploys alternative and collective ways of interpreting design heritage with particular attention to practices that eschew canonisation. These include work produced by women, non-Belgian designers based in Belgium, anonymous or collective authors, and designs created for educational and propaganda purposes, such as those supporting Belgian colonial rule. The research provides close readings of the work and lives of designers, including Sophie Alouf, Jeanine Behaeghel, Corneille Hannoset, and Herman Lampaert, and employs collaborative methodologies to involve historical figures, contemporary creators, and students in the process.

The output of Off the Grid is manifested in three distinct forms. First, a series of time-based public events, including an exhibition (Off the Grid: Belgian Graphic Design from the 1960s and 1970s as Seen by Sara De Bondt) and two series of public talks (This is… and Talking Letterheads), all at Design Museum Gent (25.10 – 16.02.2020). Second, the constitution and dissemination of long-term archival resources: a series of video portraits of graphic designers active during the period; a physical archive of contemporary graphic design made by Sara De Bondt; and a new searchable personal online archive built around keywords (saradebondt.com). Third, published research and new writing, including an anthology of new contributions by scholars and designers (Off the Grid: Histories of Belgian Graphic Design, Occasional Papers, 2022); and two peer-reviewed essays, ‘Curating as Graphic Design Research’ (Journal for Artistic Research, December 2023) and ‘Jeanine Behaeghel (1940–1993)’ (Tijdschrift voor Interieurgeschiedenis en Design, no.45, 2024).

In this way, the research of primary sources is integrated with the discursive and artistic components of a doctorate in arts, which are closely intertwined in this project. These components include exhibition scenography and graphics, curation of public programs, design of a visitor's guide, layout of magazine articles, and the development and design of a website.

The research is conducted at KASK & Conservatorium – School of Arts Ghent and Ghent University under the supervision of Helena De Preester and Luc Derycke and under the guidance of Ruth Blacksell and Armand Mevis. Special thanks to Antony Hudek.}},
  author       = {{De Bondt, Sara}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{105}},
  publisher    = {{Ghent University. Faculty of Arts and Philosophy}},
  school       = {{Ghent University}},
  title        = {{Off the grid : activating histories of belgian graphic design}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}