Effektive/BERG

We were approached by National Galleries of Scotland in collaboration with BERG studio to create an iconic identity for their summer exhibition; Picasso & Modern British Art. This is the largest to be held at the Gallery in recent years. Our brief was to create a unique identity for the exhibition, incorporating Picasso’s iconic work – Nude Woman in a Red Armchair, 1932. 

Our solution was to create a visual language which drew upon Picasso’s work as a source of inspiration. We therefore developed a modular framework informed by the ideals of the cubist movement. The pillars of this frame could be rearranged to suit different applications and thereby create interesting compositions. Furthermore we selected four accent colours derived from Picasso’s painting. These create a visual signature for the exhibition. Type also plays an important role – we selected a face with a distinct 1920′s / European flavour – robust yet delicate in it’s setting. The alignment of each separate piece of text is informed by the framework, resulting in playful and engaging compositions.

The identity was applied to various elements including; exhibitions posters, press advertising, environmental graphics and signage. The exhibition runs until 4 November at The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art.

A big thanks to Greig for taking the time to talk to us and also for allowing us to reveal some as yet unseen images from within the exhibition itself.