In The Exchange Room it is not so much about the formation of worldviews, but rather the cultural exchange of these worldviews. Remember, as we observed when we walked into the Department of Order, that these ideas and interpretations of the world reside in cultural conventions that in turn determine the development of visual languages. Exceptional changes are taking place when different cultures meet and mingle, resulting thus, in hybrid expressions. Take, for example, the renowned British type designer Eric Gill who attempted to develop an Arabic typeface fit for the linotype in 1934.
The coming about of typographic masonry is heavily invested in the invention of printing techniques, which by itself heavily relied on cultural exchange. While the technique of block printing was adopted in the Arab world, Europe was still awaiting Gutenberg’s invention of movable type to initiate a typographic revolution. Thus, the history of typography in Arabian- and European cultures is one of centuries of mutual influence and exchange.
