Created: 2025.10.31. 08:52
For the first time in Hungary, typography – the art of letterforms and text composition – has been given a national platform. The Typoflow Biennale, focusing on the art of the letter, was held at the Design Campus of Széchenyi István University, attracting more than 1,300 entries. An exhibition showcasing the 200 best works, selected by an international jury, opened at the University’s Győr Innovation Park.
Typography has long been in the background of Hungary’s visual arts, even though there have been defining moments in the history of Hungarian graphic design when the profession came together to think, create, and celebrate. The National Graphic Design Biennale of Békéscsaba was launched in 1976, providing space for creation and dialogue for decades, and it continues to play an important role in Hungary’s graphic art scene. Later, the cities of Pécs and Eger also hosted nationally significant events, mainly organised around educational institutions, contributing to the shaping of Hungarian visual culture. However, the Typoflow Biennale marks a new era: an independent professional forum for the art of the letter has been established at the Design Campus of Széchenyi István University.
The exhibition is open free of charge at the University’s Győr Innovation Park on 31 October and 3 November from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., and on 4 November from 8 a.m. to noon (Photos: Máté Dudás)
At the opening, Dr Eszter Lukács, Vice-President for International Affairs and Strategic Relations of the University, highlighted that the event is not only a celebration of art, but also of innovation and collaboration.
“We are very proud of this biennale, where letters speak to and inspire us in form, space, and thought. It is not only students and teachers who meet here, but also designers, studios, and creative communities. Our goal is for the past, present, and future of Hungarian typography to take shape here – demonstrating that the letter is not only a tool but also a shaper of culture,” she said. She added that the Faculty of Design and Performance Arts of SZE launched its design programmes in 2021, which are now open to both the Hungarian and international creative industries. The Design Campus, located at the university’s Győr Innovation Park, along with its Design Factory, has become a meeting point for visual culture and innovation. The community working here functions not only as an educational centre but also as a creative workshop and a space for nurturing talent.
Dr Eszter Lukács, Vice President for International and Strategic Relations of Széchenyi István University, opened the first typographic biennale at the institution’s Győr Innovation Park (Photo: Máté Dudás)
The chair of the jury, Dr Mateusz Machalski, Vice-Rector and graphic artist of the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, praised the high standard of the entries and the community-building power of typography in his speech. “When I first reviewed the submitted works, I was impressed by their quality. It was uplifting to experience how much creativity and professional precision these pieces reflect. Although this is, in a sense, a competition, in art there are no winners or losers – every creation has its own value and deserves attention,” he said, adding that the Győr initiative is exemplary as it creates a new platform for global dialogue.
With the interpretation of Krzystof Duczki, the exhibition was opened by Dr Mateusz Machalski, Vice-Rector and graphic artist of the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw (right) (Photo: Máté Dudás)
The international jury evaluated more than 1,300 submissions and compiled an exhibition from the top 200 works, covering nearly every field of graphic design – from poster and type design to book art, branding, and experimental typography. At the biennale, János Hunor Vári received the Grand Prize of the Hungarian Academy of Arts, while Anna Katalin Szilágyi won the Design Campus Special Award. The Kálmán Tünde-Prize was awarded to Norbert Prell, the Brandguide Special Prize to Dóra Derczbach, the FontFront Special Prize to Nikoletta Druzsin, and the ArtHungry Special Prize to Márton Németh. The special award of the City of Győr with County Rights went to Mór Solymosi.
The biennale was initiated by Zoltán Halasi, Ferenczy Noémi Award-winning graphic artist and Associate Professor at the Department of Graphic Design of Széchenyi István University (Photo: Máté Dudás)
According to the organisers of Typoflow, this event is just the beginning: their aim is to hold the biennale every two years, continuously bringing together professionals and establishing Győr as one of the key international hubs of contemporary typography. “Győr is opening a new chapter – an event where typography is not in the background, but in the spotlight, where the letter comes to life,” summarised Dr Eszter Lukács.
The organisers and award winners jointly celebrated the diversity of typography (Photo: Máté Dudás)
