We had the pleasure to collaborate with HAM on the museum’s latest exhibition, Modern Life!

Designers Craig & Karl created the energetic visual identity of the exhibition, which was inspired by the iconic collections of the five participating museums. Rather than creating just one image, or icon, for each museum, Craig & Karl selected several elements for each collection, better showcasing the vast scope of the exhibition.

The identity explores how these elements can be combined to create new iconic images; in this case, faces or characters. Objects, designs and artworks presented in Modern Life! populate the everyday lives of Finnish people and as such combine to form a self-portrait of sorts.

The approach of combining elements in such a way serves to draw a connection between art, design and identity. Moreover, it presents what are perhaps familiar items or motifs in a new and playful way, and reflects the optimism and forward-thinking embodied by the actual pieces on display.

Modern Life! is on until July 30th. The brilliant exhibition showcases highlights of architecture, design, visual art and photography that contributed to the construction of a modern and international Finland between 1917 and 1968.