Skala, a Zurich-based design studio, partnered with the Museum of Design Zurich to develop the visual identity and exhibition graphics for Visual Poetry (Visuelle Poesie in Swiss German), showcasing a vibrant collection of contemporary Iranian posters. The exhibition, which concluded last October, featured over two hundred posters exploring the rich world of Iranian graphic design.
Emerging as a distinct discipline in the 1960s, following the establishment of the Islamic Republic and the Iran-Iraq War, designers drew from the pre-war tradition to create works that fuse an innovative interpretation of Persian heritage with modern international graphic design trends. The juxtaposition of ancient and modern design elements embodies the unique ability of Iranian designers to preserve the past while embracing new ideas.
The posters in the collection are voices of creative freedom, arising out of resistance to periods of oppression and political crises. Their symbolically encoded, poetic visual language transcends the cultural and political restrictions imposed by the regime, serving as a powerful expression of both tradition and modernity. This innovative design approach visually manifests the collaboration between the old and the new, embodying a diverse cultural narrative. Several references to calligraphy, the most prominent mode of expression in Iranian posters, are made throughout the exhibition. Persian calligraphy, which developed partly because Islam discouraged images, is still valued and commonly practised today (Yūsofī,1990).
Delving further into the visual identity crafted by Skala, we can observe the strong connections between their design and the exhibition’s essence. Entrusted with the important task of shaping the exhibition’s visual identity, Skala’s imagery elegantly utilises evocative symbolism, hinting at the limitless interpretations of visual forms. The design personifies the richness of the exhibition’s content whilst sparking public intrigue as to what the space actually comprises.
Skala employs Selecta by Maxitype as their typeset, a legible, modern font, popular in both digital and print media. Its neutral style allows it to encompass multiple narratives and reflections, echoing the diverse content of the exhibition. The text sits against a block-coloured deep Persian green background, a shade traditionally symbolising nature, heaven, and sanctity, paying homage to ancient Persian associations with paradise.
Working together, Skala and their partners created a timeless design based on the core of the exhibition’s content. Their multidisciplinary approach reflects the project’s energy and the meaningful themes it represents. As the exhibition presents a broad spectrum of visual languages, the campaign had to find a unifying thread, giving the show a poetic identity that captures its core. The compositional overlap of English/German text in a contemporary font, with Farsi, the modern Persian language, bridges the cultural gap between tradition and modernity. The dynamic use of shape and line embodies the ever-evolving nature of Iranian design, complemented by the circularity of white lines echoing the cyclical nature of tradition and narrative.
Skala Studio’s thoughtful approach to the project reveals the richness of the exhibition, simultaneously sparking the audience’s curiosity and striking a balance between informing and inviting audiences.
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Written by Maggie Horneff, October 2024
