Le Titre dans ses états: A Lighthearted but Superficial Look at Titles

Edited by Zoé Vaissières, the book "Le Titre dans ses états" (Archibooks) attempts to catalog everything about titles across disciplines including visual arts, music, cinema, literature, and journalism. While enjoyable and humorous, the volume lacks scientific rigor and depth, feeling more like a casual project among friends. Contributions from collector Axel Vervoordt, author Nathalie David-Weill, musician Michael Nyman, journalist Gérard Lefort (recounting Libération title stories), and linguist Pierre Encrevé offer subjective insights but remain superficial. The book is compared unfavorably to the 2012 CNRS essay "La Fabrique du titre. Nommer les œuvres d'art," which set a higher standard. Notable omissions include Marcel Duchamp, whose unique titles like "Étant donnés: 1° la chute d'eau 2° le gaz d'éclairage" are absent. The reviewer, Philippe Ducat, concludes it resembles a good end-of-cycle thesis at a graphic arts school.