VENUE: MTU Crawford College of Art & Design, Sharman Crawford Street, Cork City.
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Join us on a captivating voyage through the history and rebirth of Notre Dame de Paris, as French designer Laurent Ungerer unveils the creative process of designing its new visual identity.
Presented by the French Embassy in Ireland in association with Irish Design Week, Tabula is a unique Walk-Talk performance.
The day after the cathedral’s reopening, French creative agency c-album, led by Laurent Ungerer, unveiled Tabula — a groundbreaking project reimagining the cathedral’s visual identity.
Conceived in collaboration with the Diocese of Paris, this project explores the creative challenges of reviving a place steeped in history and spirituality, through the practice of graphic design, exploring symbolism, writing systems, light, color and new technologies, including artificial intelligence.
Tabula is an interactive Walk-Talk guiding visitors through this journey, blending history, spirituality, and cutting-edge design. Presented as a performed conference, it uses eight large books inspired by medieval manuscripts, animated live by designers under the direction of a “master of time.”
This innovative format immerses the audience in the aesthetic and spiritual challenges of such a project: how to materialize spiritual immateriality? How can we harmonize sacred and secular messages while preserving the cathedral's identity? This approach led Laurent Ungerer to undertake three years of in-depth research, exploring places of worship and libraries.
Commissioned in 2020, c-album - directed by Ungerer - was tasked with rethinking Notre-Dame’s signage, ornamentation, lighting, and colors, balancing its dual role as a place of worship and a global cultural site. Tabula was conceived as both a creative exploration and a mediation tool to share this reflection with wider audiences.
Touring to Dublin, Limerick and Cork, Tabula offers an immersive experience that reveals the creative and spiritual challenges of reviving one of the world’s most iconic landmarks.
Alongside the Walk-Talks, Laurent Ungerer and collaborator Raphaël John will engage students and participate in roundtable discussions.
On tour in France and abroad until 2030, Tabula is a rare opportunity to witness how history, art, spirituality and innovation converge in shaping Notre-Dame’s future.
Presented as part of Irish Design Week. Discover a series of events celebrating French creativity, design, and digital innovation — from visual identity and VR to AI and cultural heritage — all centred around the creation of the new visual identity of Notre-Dame de Paris, developed by French designer Laurent Ungerer and his studio c-album. LINK: Full programme
Tabula is brought to you by the French Embassy in Ireland, Irish Design Week, Design & Craft Council Ireland, Trinity College Dublin, Limerick Civic Trust, MTU Crawford College of Art & Design and MTU Arts Office.
The wider programme is presented by the French Embassy in Ireland as part of Irish Design Week in association with La French Tech, BETA Festival, Digital Hub, Alliance française Dublin, NCAD, Creative Europe Desk Ireland, Limerick School of Art & Design, and University of Limerick.
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