Allan McCollum Typography Design

Allan McCollumn X Galerie T. Schulte

Typographic system developed to follow strict formal rules set by the artist. A dense typesetting of over 1,200 names formed the visual base of Allan McCollum’s large-scale artwork, exhibited at Art Basel Unlimited 2024.

Art Production, Typography for Allan McCollum, Galerie Thomas Schulte (…)
Art Basel Unlimited, 2024
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The Allan McCollum Typography Design was developed by CTP – Conversation Taking Place for Galerie Thomas Schulte. It accompanied the artist’s large-scale work The World, A Moment in Time at Art Basel Unlimited 2024, and it translated a conceptual structure into a spatial and typographic format.

Typography for Mass and Identity

McCollum’s work included over 1,200 of the most common first names worldwide, so the typography had to be extremely consistent. Each name carried equal visual weight, because the piece reflected ideas of mass production and shared identity.

The layout followed a strict typographic grid, although we adjusted spacing and rhythm for clarity. Names were treated with neutrality, while the repetition created a subtle pulse across the surface.

The overall impression feels calm and cohesive, yet every detail was tested multiple times, since legibility was essential.

Collaboration and Production Process

We collaborated closely with Galerie Thomas Schulte, not only on the visual outcome, but also on the technical setup, so the final output would work in both print and spatial presentation.

We created several prototypes, because the installation size required testing different scales and paper finishes.

The digital documentation was developed in parallel, and its layouts followed the same rules, so consistency could extend across media.

This dual approach allowed the work to live both online and in the exhibition, while preserving its conceptual integrity.

Typography Design for Exhibitions

CTP specializes in typography design for exhibitions, especially when projects require structure, clarity, and conceptual alignment.

We adapt our methods to each artist’s intent, so the design feels true to the work.

Our systems are structured, yet flexible, because every project evolves in dialogue with space and content.

If you’re working with data-driven or archive-based content, and you need a visual system that holds it all together, we can help.

As an independent studio based in Berlin, we support long-term creative collaborations, while maintaining clarity and precision.

Explore more on CTP’s homepage. To learn more about the full installation, visit galeriethomasschulte.com and explore the final Allan McCollum Typography Design.

Typography Design for Galerie Thomas Schulte and Allan McCollum Immo Schneider Conversation Taking Place CTP. TP. P.

“Allan McCollum, born in Los Angeles in 1944, is a conceptual artist. During the late 1970s, McCollum began to develop his central thesis; one which transforms the relationship between viewer and artwork, by challenging the producer/receiver dichotomy. His work is defined by his artistic and sociological investigation of the individual within processes of mass production. To that extent, McCollum‘s works are often characterized by an extreme accumulation of individual parts—drawings or sculptural objects—with the aim of transcending such social categorizations as education and class which often divide audiences in their reception. Due to its focus on the processes of cultural reception, McCollum‘s work has often been set in the context of his contemporaries Michael Asher, Daniel Buren, Andrea Fraser, Louise Lawler, and Allan Ruppersberg. His most acclaimed works include his Plaster Surrogates, Perfect Vehicles, and his Over Ten Thousand Individual Works series, all of which have become icons of late 20th century conceptual art.”¹

Following strict typographic rules from the artist, we were entrusted to adapt Allan McCollum’s work for Galerie Thomas Schulte to create the artwork ‘The World, A Moment in Time’. A work displaying the 1,200 most common names in the world, according to the year 2024. Installed at Art Basel Unlimited, 2024.

Photography Galerie Thomas Schulte
Work by Allan McCollum