make your fridays matter with a well-read weekend

 

Pentagram designs a new branding identity for the Moholy-Nagy Foundation

The Moholy-Nagy’s new visual identity designed by Pentagram’s partner in USA takes design cues from the artist’s experimental work in his photographs.

by STIRworldPublished on : Jan 20, 2021

A partner at Pentagram, Marina Willer, and her team have designed a new visual branding identity for the Moholy-Nagy Foundation in lieu of the foundation’s mission to promote, research and preserve the legacy of László Moholy-Nagy’s life and work.

  • The new branding identity is inspired by Moholy-Nagy’s life and works | Moholy-Nagy Foundation | Pentagram | STIRworld
    The new branding identity is inspired by Moholy-Nagy’s life and works Image: Courtesy of Pentagram
  • The new branding printed on a bag | Moholy-Nagy Foundation | Pentagram | STIRworld
    The new branding printed on a bag Image: Courtesy of Pentagram

László Moholy-Nagy, an intellectual born in Hungary, was a skilled artist, photographer, filmmaker, and a writer. He taught as a professor at the Bauhaus school, and one of his biggest accomplishments was having established the Chicago School of Design (now known as the IIT Institute of Design, a part of Illinois Institute of Technology) in the 1930s, which was soon dubbed as the ‘New Bauhaus’.

The Moholy-Nagy Foundation was established in 2003, led by his daughter Hattula Moholy-Nagy. The foundation wanted to preserve and archive all of the artist’s works online, while developing new programs, affiliations and partnerships to keep his legacy alive. Along with the online archive, the foundation offers authentication service for providing accurate information to public and private entities.

The new branding featured on the foundation’s website | Moholy-Nagy Foundation | Pentagram | STIRworld
The new branding featured on the foundation’s website Image: Courtesy of Pentagram

The new branding for the foundation was designed with the artist’s methods and mind-set kept in focus. Moholy-Nagy was known for his experimental photographs using light, which were called photograms and these directly informed Marina and her design team’s craft-based approach for creating the new visual identity. A set of hand-made typographic form were created in the studio using a series of projections with light and water, making the letterforms appear wispy and fluid.

  • The photograms inspired Pentagram’s design direction | Moholy-Nagy Foundation | Pentagram | STIRworld
    The photograms inspired Pentagram’s design direction Image: Courtesy of Pentagram
  • Experimenting with water and light for the letter forms | Moholy-Nagy Foundation | Pentagram | STIRworld
    Experimenting with water and light for the letter forms Image: Courtesy of Pentagram
  • The Moholy logo against the light | Moholy-Nagy Foundation | Pentagram | STIRworld
    The Moholy logo against the light Image: Courtesy of Pentagram

The typeface used for this project is Riposte provided by the Good Type Foundry. Inspired by mid-century fonts, the neo-grotesque typeface also incorporates contemporary features, which can bring a sense of modernity to the brand identity while staying true to the archival language. Moholy-Nagy’s works and mediums have also influenced the palette for the visual identity. A more neutral and restrained colour palette containing black and white and sand has been used to make sure it can be used across all applications and fit alongside any artwork.

  • The typographic wordmark across Moholy-Nagy Foundation’s prints | Moholy-Nagy Foundation | Pentagram | STIRworld
    The typographic wordmark across Moholy-Nagy Foundation’s prints Image: Courtesy of Pentagram
  • A neutral colour palette has been used for the brand’s visual identity | Moholy-Nagy Foundation | Pentagram | STIRworld
    A neutral colour palette has been used for the brand’s visual identity Image: Courtesy of Pentagram

The distinctive typographic wordmark is displayed on all of the foundation’s printed matter and online as well—including letterheads, business cards and more. Marina and her team also designed the foundation’s website.

(Text by Shreeparna Chatterjee, editorial trainee at stirworld.com)

What do you think?

About Author

Recommended

LOAD MORE
see more articles
5002,4918,5034,4989,4864

make your fridays matter

SUBSCRIBE
This site uses cookies to offer you an improved and personalised experience. If you continue to browse, we will assume your consent for the same.
LEARN MORE AGREE