Aarhus Festival
– Visual Identity
In Aarhus Festival I spearhead the visual identity, wayfinding infrastructure, large scale add campaigns a website as well as production of folders, flyers posters and print adds. Below are a few examples.
Brand
Colours
Primary
Gradients Inspired by Light
Since the beginning of Aarhus Festival in 1965, music, theater and performance have set the stage, signaling the Festival’s arrival.
Throughout the city, tents, pavilions, works of art, and wonderfully unique structures are erected. Their common denominator is the captivating light, which, for practical or theatrical reasons, is omnipresent.
That’s why I’ve chosen to draw inspiration from Aarhus Festival’s extensive image archive, and based on stage lights, I’ve selected the nuances most frequently used.
These colours specifically used in gradients are reminiscent of the stage from which they are taken, gradients then form a significant part of the framework for the visual identity.
Gradient
Framework
Visual Identity
– in use
The posters
One of Aarhus Festival’s time-honored traditions is the making of an annual poster, a visual representation of Aarhus’ zeitgeist. Every year we hire an artist to create a unique image. Each poster serves not only as a promotional material but also as a collectible piece of art that resonates with attendees, showcasing the talent of local artists and fostering a deeper connection between the festival and the people of Aarhus.
Bringing back
old gods.
In 2023, I've had the privilege of working with a team of incredibly talented people in the creation this poster. Local puppet builder Ida Asferg Jakobsen revived the iconic god Pan, Aarhus Festival's original 1965 mascot, the background is composed of moss, mushrooms, and foliage from the forests of Aarhus. This enchanting tapestry not only announced this year's festival but also symbolised our city's connection to its past.
Bente Laurenz Jacobsen did the incredible styling, Buus Anlægsgartner A/S supplied materials and base, Moment Studio A/S and Jacob Toft Rosenvinge helped immortalise this strange tapestry in the most beautiful way imaginable. I had the pleasure of devising and directing this project on behalf of Aarhus Festuge. All in all a project that I am intensely proud of.
Bending the
norms.
How will the species of the future look in a more biodiverse world? And what if the future species already existed in the nature around Aarhus?
In 2024, the artist duo Rhoda Ting & Mikkel Bojesen created a poster artwork in both printed and digitally animated formats, expanding the boundaries of the traditional poster medium and, not least, broadening our idea of future life on Earth.
A cross between the familiar and the unfamiliar, between present and future
Wild organic and undefinable forms appear in a dreamlike landscape that merges with familiar Danish nature. Rhoda Ting & Mikkel Bojesen’s video artwork contains something both recognizable and deeply alien; Futuristic creatures with chromed, glossy surfaces, situated in recognisably local Aarhus habitats.
