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The presentation of the project “Tbilisi and Typography” as part of the Social Design Days
News

The presentation of the project “Tbilisi and Typography” as part of the Social Design Days

29 September 2026
On the opening day of Social Design Days: Urban Culture, organised and hosted by the Design Institute, Ubani will present its new collaborative project “Tbilisi and Typography.”

“Tbilisi and Typography” explores the typography found across Tbilisi and studies the city’s inscriptions, letters and signs. The project is initiated by Ubani, and it brings together Georgian and foreign collaborators to explore the visual, social, and cultural dimensions of typography in the city, while considering its role in shaping and reflecting Tbilisi’s urban space.

The project will be presented to the public by Ubani co-founder David Brodsky on October 8 during the Social Design Days. Alongside the presentation, a display table will showcase works by project participants, including artist and book designer Manana Arabuli, photographer and creative practitioner Dante Marcantognini, and type and graphic designer Yury Ostromentsky. The display will remain on view throughout the whole duration of the Social Design Days, October 8–10, at the Design Institute.

Conference schedule – Day 1, October 8. “Highlight: Social Gatherings and Placemaking”

11:30-12:00
Participant Registration, Coffee and Fresh Bar
12:00-15:00
Workshop: “Preposterous History of Architecture” - Aleksandra Kędziorek, art historian and researcher. The session is supported by Polish Graphic Design
15:00-16:00
Book Presentation: “How to Win Elections in Georgia” - Elene Shengelia, artist and photographer, Basa Metreveli, artist & Giorgi Avaliani, Art Director
16:00-16:30
Official Opening Ceremony of the Fifth Edition of Social Design Days
16:30-17:00
Ubani: “Tbilisi and Typography” - David Brodsky, artist and architect; Dante Marcantognini, photographer and creative practitioner; Yury Ostomentsky, type and graphic designer and art director; and Manana Arabuli, artist and book designer
17:00-18:00
Fabrika Case Study by MUA Architects - Devi Kituashvili, architect and founding partner of MUA
18:00-19:00
“Together Alone” - Lado Lomitashvili, architect and multidisciplinary artist; Laslo Strong, graphic designer and Mari Lebanidze, visual practitioner working across design, creative direction and publishing
18:00-19:00
Keynote: “City, Sound and Rebellion: The Triad of Raw Sound, Brutalist Architecture and Urban Resistance” - Karl Stocker, social designer and architect
19:00-20:00
Mrkvarze: Between being and Becoming - Ketevan Gabunia, founder of Mtkvarze and Lasha Kabanashvili, Multimedia Artits, Marketing Director at Mtkvarze
19:00-20:00
POSTRED Keynote: “Shaping Sound: Post-Soviet Echies, Global Stories” - Zviad Mgebry, composer and creative partner at POSTRED
20:00-21:00
Wine Bar and Cocktail Reception hosted by Georgian Sun and GD Alco

Visitors info

Address
Design Institute, Dimitri Uznadze Street #82, Tbilisi
Conference Language
English
Full ticket price
50 GEL. Tickets are available for the three-day event and can be purchased on the Design Institute Website.

About Social Design Days

Social Design Days is an international event series organised and hosted by the Design Institute, an independent educational and research platform dedicated to advancing visual communication, digital design, and creative strategy across the region. The fifth edition of Social Design Days will be dedicated to Urban Culture and the influence of design and architecture on social environments, trends and subcultures.

Curator

David Brodsky Architect and artist based in Tbilisi. He studied at IUAV University of Venice and has participated in numerous local and international projects and workshops. His architectural practice includes the design and renovation of residential buildings and living spaces, small-scale architectural installations, and exhibition design. David is a co-founder of Ubani — Tbilisi Cityscape Research Center and a visiting teacher at the Free University of Tbilisi.

Participants

Manana Arabuli Georgian artist and book designer with extensive professional experience in book design and print production. She is the founder of Black Dog Shop and the author of the visual identity of Fabrika Tbilisi. An enthusiast and lover of typography, she was awarded the Gold Award for Best Freelance at the TBC Business Awards 2025.
Dante F. Marcantognini Italian photographer and creative practitioner, born in Caracas, Venezuela. He has been living and working in Tbilisi since 2019, where his creative practice focuses on the urban environment, everyday details, and overlooked elements of the city. In 2021, he created Samezoblo (Neighborhood), an ongoing photographic project documenting Tbilisi’s streets and everyday objects while building an informal archive of the city. Alongside photography, Dante works with field recordings and experimental sound collages. His work has been presented at CCA Tbilisi and Subsequence, and he has collaborated with CES Records.
Yury Ostromentsky Type and graphic designer and art director. Born in Moscow, he graduated from an art school and the State University of Printing Arts. He is a co-founder of CSTM Fonts type foundry and type.today type store. He has been living and working in Tbilisi since 2019. He is the author of the Georgian versions of Graphik and Onweer, as well as several original typefaces with Georgian support, including Loos, CSTM Xprmntl, Backslanted, and others. He is also the author of Tsartserebi, a project exploring street typography in Tbilisi.