Teksttext

Teksttext is a term used in typography and digital poetry to describe a class of texts where content and form are fused. In teksttext, the arrangement, styling, and layout actively participate in meaning, beyond what is conveyed by words alone. The term highlights works in which the text’s own structure becomes a part of the message.

The concept emerged from experimental practices in late 20th and early 21st century design and literature, where artists and designers explored programmable typography, meta-textuality, and interactive media. It is used across experimental literature, visual poetry, and digital design to study how typographic features such as line breaks, spacing, font weight, and color influence interpretation.

Teksttext works often feature repetition, layering, and alternation of language or script. They may render text as data that can be processed by algorithms, producing emergent or changing layouts. Some pieces embed instructions within the text that reinterpret themselves when interacted with. The approach foregrounds the reader’s perception of text as both content and design.

In scholarly discussions, teksttext is cited as a tool for examining information density, accessibility, and multimodal literacy, while also challenging conventional reading practices. Practical applications include digital poetry installations, responsive web typography, and generative art that reflows or re-positions the same text according to user input or metadata.

See also: Self-reference, Metafiction, Visual poetry, Generative typography, Digital humanities.