Récit'Cité — Julien Staudt
For this book design project, I brought to life a collection of stories imagined by Julien Staudt, a work created during his residency in France, in the Mortard neighborhood (Franche-Comté). This neighborhood, made up of tower blocks and social housing buildings, has a rich and complex history, in which immigration, intercultural relations, and collective memory are central themes. The author compiled the stories he collected over three years, during his encounters with the neighborhood's residents.
My graphic approach was to stay true to reality while avoiding prejudices and oversimplified shortcuts around integration and immigration. I also wanted the book to have an emotional impact, a certain aesthetic, and a grounding in reality, memory, and remembrance. I wanted it to be embraced by the residents and for them to be able to identify with it.
My work consisted of dividing and structuring the content and linking the narrative to the context. Each chapter was designed with a distinct illustration, introducing a visual element that responds to the text without over-signifying it and giving it a framework that is both concrete and poetic. The archival visuals were carefully reworked and arranged to create visual coherence, while respecting their spontaneous nature. The book thus serves as a witness, while avoiding clichés, and aims to be a bridge between the inhabitants, their memories, and the history they helped to create.
Client
An expression of the imaginary world of the residents of the Mortard quarter
Over the course of three years, Julien Staudt engaged in conversations with the residents of the Mortard district, compiling a collection of stories in the process.
For this book design project, I brought to life a collection of stories imagined by Julien Staudt, a work created during his residency in France, in the Mortard neighborhood (Franche-Comté). This neighborhood, made up of tower blocks and social housing buildings, has a rich and complex history, in which immigration, intercultural relations, and collective memory are central themes. The author compiled the stories he collected over three years, during his encounters with the neighborhood's residents.
My graphic approach was to stay true to reality while avoiding prejudices and oversimplified shortcuts around integration and immigration. I also wanted the book to have an emotional impact, a certain aesthetic, and a grounding in reality, memory, and remembrance. I wanted it to be embraced by the residents and for them to be able to identify with it.
My work consisted of dividing and structuring the content and linking the narrative to the context. Each chapter was designed with a distinct illustration, introducing a visual element that responds to the text without over-signifying it and giving it a framework that is both concrete and poetic. The archival visuals were carefully reworked and arranged to create visual coherence, while respecting their spontaneous nature. The book thus serves as a witness, while avoiding clichés, and aims to be a bridge between the inhabitants, their memories, and the history they helped to create.
