National Pavilion UAE.
Curating untold stories about the UAE’s arts and architecture.
The National Pavilion UAE – La Biennale di Venezia provides a platform for curatorial concepts that address critical international conversations from a distinctively local perspective.
Project scope
Brand Identity, Brand Collateral, Brand Guidelines
We worked alongside the NPUAE team to develop the original brand back in 2009. Helping define a progressive visual identity that would support the launch of this cultural platform into its first permanent space at La Biennale di Venezia. Over the following years the NPUAE's exhibitions have continued to explore the nation’s cultural evolution from 20th century experimental artists to the diverse contemporary scene. In parallel, it expanded its engagement with communities in the UAE to support the growth of the local cultural and creative industries, through public programming and professional opportunities. For its latest participation in Venice (2021), the team invited us to help review the brand in line with its evolution over the past ten years.
Through our initial workshops, we were able to determine key areas to evolve the brand's identity system that would support its newly defined strategy. Starting with the identity we refined and refreshed the logo defining a clear rationale – the NPUAE logo is a visual interpretation of both 2D and 3D space. A blank canvas and platform for the nation’s arts and architecture exhibitions as well as a focal point for communication and awareness at an international level of UAE culture.
From there we re-evaluated the brand's typographic system. Defining a consistent, user-friendly typographic experience across all communication channels both Arabic and English. We created a new and expanded colour palette to better communicate across the core storytelling pillars – exhibitions, dialogue, legacy and internships. We explored a brand new graphic system that was less restrictive and more adaptive, creating unique design opportunities.
The whole process culminated in the creation of a set of comprehensive and simple to use brand guidelines that empower internal and external teams to be able to consistently and coherently apply the new brand.
The new visual identity system was successfully implemented into the latest architectural showcase – Wetland. Architects and curators Wael Al Awar and Kenichi Teramoto presented research into an innovative sustainable cement alternative inspired by salt minerals found in the UAE’s Sabkha heritage sites. The exhibition was awarded the Golden Lion for best National Participation at La Biennale Architetura 2021.
Images courtesy of National Pavilion UAE La Biennale di Venezia
As part of the project we also updated the NPUAE’s Venice Internship identity to work seamlessly with the new brand identity system. The Venice Internship program offers hands-on experience, where interns spend one month in Venice staffing the UAE’s art and architecture exhibitions.
