Voices from the Courts

Darius Ou
2017

Two type systems are used together unapologetically resulting in seemingly sporadic arrangements and uncomfortably close texts. My hope that this amalgamation of design systems is interesting and unexpected, much like the project.
A spread in Article 1 showcasing Tan's artwork drafts, bound in the binder.
A spread of an essay by Tan's collaborator.
A spread in Article 2 showcasing Tan's artworks, bound in the binder.
A spread in Article 2 showing an essay mapped out in diagrammatic form.
A close up of the text on the die-cut dividers.

Voices from the Courts is a collaboration between the artist Jack Tan and the Comm­unity Justice Centre Singapore (CJC), a charity based at the State Courts and the Family Justice Courts of Sing­apore, out of which a number of projects, events, exhibi­tions and artworks have emerged.

Inspired by legal statutes binders and being a project with collab­oration at its core, the catalogue was designed with the mechanism of two parts coming together - Articles One and Two. The idea of two distinct fields coming together (Art and Law) is simi­larly repres­ented by two accomp­anying typo­graphic systems, each with its own distinct 'person­alities': serif type­faces (Caslon & Canela) always central­ised and justified;  sans-serif typeface (Helvectica Neue) always left-aligned and ragged-right.

The other core idea of the project is the inqui­sition of the processes and relation­ships Tan had with CJC, a legal entity that was previously new to arts engage­ment. Flowcharts and diagrams were used to symbolise this idea, with various essays in the catalogue designed in flowchart form.

Art Direction & Design
Darius Ou
Project link