Biennale of Sydney
Identity, Physical, Digital
Summary
The Biennale of Sydney is recognized as one of Australia’s premier cultural events. Held every two years, the three-month-long exhibition is accompanied by a program of artist talks, forums, guided tours and special events, nearly all of which are free to the public.
Background
The inaugural Biennale of Sydney was held in 1973 as part of the program of events celebrating the opening of the Sydney Opera House. Widely respected for working with independent artistic directors, the Biennale has a reputation for having shown the work of renowned artists early in their careers. The Biennale was also the first to focus on Asia and the contemporary art of the region (1973 and 1976); the first to show Indigenous art in an international contemporary art context (1979); and in 2008, the first biennale to present an online venue.
Organization Type
Arts Organization, Non-Profit
Assignment
Refresh the Biennale of Sydney parent brand, originally designed by Saatchi & Saatchi, to better accommodate the brand on digital platforms and represent the biennale year–round, rather than simply between biennale cycles.
Design a new website that is not only home to the Biennale’s 2018 exhibition, but is also home to continuous off-season events and projects year–round.
Collaboration
Civilization worked with Sydney–based development studio, Interaction Consortium to design and develop the digital platform to house the festival events and the archives of past biennales.
Client
Biennale of Sydney
Years
2017 — Present
Location
Sydney, Australia
Collaborators
Approach
Working from the Biennale of Sydney’s identity system originally designed by Saatchi & Saatchi, we sought to streamline and modernize the existing brand. We took the “O” in the biennale’s name and infused the concept of perception and vision. To help give the biennale a tool for expanding their brand across social media platforms, we created an abbreviated sub-mark focusing on an eye icon. The eye and the brand color red acts as a beacon across all of their print and digital platforms. The symbol of the eye, omnipresent across both print and digital applications, is a dynamic representation of the biennale’s history as true visionaries in the space of global art and culture.
In designing their digital platform we wanted to create a modular and responsive platform the team could utilize in a way that could be constantly updated and reconfigured to fit their evolving needs. We collaborated with Interaction Consortium to design and build an extensive and robust archive to showcase their many years of global renowned exhibitions and programs.
Research
Globally recognized cultural institutions, Artist websites
Reach
Each biennale attracts over 600,000 patrons across seven venues throughout the city of Sydney and features over 70 artists from 35 countries.
Since its inception in 1973, the Biennale of Sydney has delivered 21 major exhibitions.
The biennale attracts tens of thousands of visitors coming from outside the city of Sydney.
Components
Animation, Extended Identity Manual, User Experience Design, User Interface Design, Responsive Design
Technical Specs
HTML, CSS, Javascript, AJAX, WordPress
Team
Principal: Michael Ellsworth
Principal: Corey Gutch
Creative Direction: Gabriel Stromberg
Design: Òscar Viñas
Web Development: Shaun Kardinal
Account Management: Raya Leary
Since its inception in 1973, the Biennale of Sydney has showcased the work of nearly 1,800 artists from more than 100 countries and holds an important place on both the national and international stage.
