Brand strategy and identity for Kunstsilo

Project

Kunstsilo is a radically ambitious new art museum in Kristiansand, southern Norway. A mid 20th Century grain silo becoming a cathedral of culture and internationally significant art institution.

Kunstsilo will be the permanent home to the Tangen Collection, the world's largest collection of modernist art from the Nordic countries, the Sørlandets Collection, and serve as a platform for international digital contemporary art. All this will be on offer through an array of permanent and temporary exhibitions, lectures, concerts, workshops, and events.

(Work developed under ANTI)

This bold, and sometimes politically challenged project, demanded a clear brand strategy, and creative platform to match its social, architectural and cultural ambitions. Our responsibility is ongoing and covers everything from brand design, advertising and communications, editorial and social, product design, wayfinding, visitor experience and conceptual development of exhibitions, workflow tools to drive innovation, digital design and development and much more for a holistic brand experience.

The Kunstsilo brand was launched in 2022 to much acclaim. Reflecting Kunstsilo’s high ambitions of positioning themselves as a local, national, and international destination. With many moving parts, including hospitality and retail, education and research, we formulated a strong and flexible identity that could grow and evolve over time.

Working with Kunstsilo, we developed an identity and communication platform centred around the theme of "Shifting Perspectives" to build anticipation and engagement leading up to the grand opening.

Challenge

From the start, we involved the entire organisation in the branding process; empowering their ownership and strengthening their culture of innovation. Through substantial research and workshops, we gathered insights and ideas across departments to capture the substance behind their values and visions for Kunstsilo.

With annual visitor targets greater than the local population, and the strategic ambition to become the world’s leading major art gallery for children, it’s our mandate to create a brand that can attract and retain a broad audience. A brand that holds community and Nordic values in its heart, creating a welcoming destination for people of all backgrounds to explore, discuss, and discover new aspects of the human experience.

Solution

The brand strategy, "Shifting Perspectives," is inspired by the silo's iconic architecture and represents the subjective changes that occur both in space and in reaction to exhibits and events at Kunstsilo. An open and reflecting identity where everyone is invited to create new discoveries and new conversations, shifting perspectives through art and real life experience.

The visual identity captures characteristic elements of the silo with reference to 20th Century modernism, including its tall proportions, cylindrical forms, and striking voids and brutalism.

The logo symbol is a graphic representation of the silo's cylindrical form, while the brand pattern is derived from both the architecture of the building and the logo symbol. This pattern can become a powerful visual element to help build the iconic nature of the brand - connecting the institution with the building.