The Biennale Internationale de Design Graphique
The Biennale Internationale de Design Graphique in Chaumont, France, is a five-month long celebration of graphic design.
The Biennale Internationale de Design Graphique in Chaumont, France, is a five-month long celebration of graphic design.
Must-see show: The Biennale Internationale de Design Graphique 2025
Few art forms shape our understanding and experience of the world as powerfully as graphic design. Graphic designers create design objects that must be purposeful, functional, and visually compelling. Through their choice of composition, colours, and imagery, graphic designers convey meaning with artistic flair. While graphic design is categorised as applied art, the sophisticated use of visual elements and personal expression often elevates works to the realm of fine art.
The Biennale Internationale de Design Graphique is an interdisciplinary celebration of graphic design held in Chaumont, France. Organised by Le Signe, the Centre National du Graphisme (National Centre for Graphic Design), the 2025 Biennale runs from 21 May to 19 October. During these five months, exhibitions, tours, workshops, competitions, and events dedicated to all forms of graphic design are held across the city of Chaumont.
The festival brings together emerging talents and established figures in graphic design. With a focus that is both professional and popular, it is open to creatives, curators, publishers, students, and the general public.
Celebrating Creativity in a City Known for Its Design Culture
The origins of this unique celebration of graphic design are tied to the history of the city of Chaumont. This city first established itself as a focal point for graphic design in 1905 when the botanist, politician, and art collector Gustave Dutailly donated over 5,000 illustrated posters to the city. This collection formed the basis of what was to become a major graphic archive. Eventually, Dutailly’s donation led to the establishment of the National Centre for Graphic Design, Le Signe. Chaumont is recognised worldwide as a leading graphic design city.
The roots of the Biennale trace back to 1990, when Chaumont launched the International Poster and Graphic Design Festival (Festival international de l’affiche et du graphisme de Chaumont). The poster competition has grown into an annual event attracting entries from countries across the globe. Over time, the collection of submitted and accepted posters expanded into a large archive.
Le Signe was inaugurated in 2016. It is the first permanent French national centre dedicated entirely to graphic design. The establishment of Le Signe led to a restructuring of the graphic design festival in 2017. This transformation allowed the organisers to arrange for more ambitious exhibitions and make full use of Le Signe’s facilities.
Highlights of the Biennale Internationale de Design Graphique 2025
The visual identity of the festival was created by Anja Kaiser, Gerrit Brocks, and Nelly Nakahara. Anja Kaiser is an established artist who is well-known in the graphic design world for pushing boundaries. Nelly Nakahara and Gerrit Brocks are younger designers chosen for their energy and complementary skills. The choice of these three artists reflects the organisers' wish to signal that they are interested in more than safe or purely commercial design.
Some of the highlights include:
- Noise. Curated by Jean-Michel Géridan, the exhibition is an investigation into how graphic design influences or interacts with music.
- Simenon Simenon. Curated by Élodie Boyer with Pierre-Yves Cachard and Bernd Hilpert, this exhibition showcases paperback book covers.
- Metalogo. Sébastien Hayez has put together a fascinating exploration into how visual identities and logos are used in extreme heavy metal subcultures such as death metal and black metal.
- H5 Retrospective. This retrospective of the French design studio H5 shows their influence and how “French Touch” aesthetics in music and graphic design overlap.
- The 31st International Poster Competition. A longstanding central event, the competition is one of the premier events in graphic design. Entrants from across the world compete for the prestige of being recognised as a graphic designer on the cutting edge of the industry.
- The 2025 jury includes luminaries such as Agnès Dahan, Studio members of Super Terrain and Studio Hammer, Thierry Groensteen from the Académie des Beaux-Arts, and Sébastien Marchal of the Société des Auteurs des Arts Visuels et de l'Image Fixe (SAIF).
- The 27th Student Competition (27e Concours Étudiant). A competition designed to show emerging voices and support young graphic designers. The jury comprises Marthe Nachtman, Justin Bihan, and Anja Kaiser.
- Prix Unique du Livre. Not a competition, the Prix Unique du Livre is a celebration of 20 of the most distinctive and imaginative book covers from the last three years.
From humble beginnings dating back more than 30 years, the Biennale Internationale de Design Graphique is now regarded as one of the most important global events in graphic design. For lovers of graphic design, attendance is an absolute must.
