Hidden Art Cornwall Design Fair 2008 Identity and Art Direction

Hidden Art Cornwall, a social franchise of Hidden Art London, facilitates a support network for Cornish designer-makers and provides a platform for them to sell and exhibit work. In 2008 we were commissioned to design the identity, advertising and marketing material for the Hidden Art Cornwall Design Fair. This annual three day event, held over the August Bank Holiday, gives the public an opportunity to buy a wide range of contemporary work, from ceramics to furniture, direct from over 100 designer-makers in the historic setting of Godolphin House and gardens.

Key to our approach was to represent the unique mix of the Design Fair – the organisation, the event and the venue. Photographs of Godolphin House, framed as if through the eyes of the visitor, act as an introduction to the venue. Overlaid with a large red circle, referencing the ‘sold sticker’ from the Hidden Art logotype, these photographs become obscured – literally by the Design Fair which takes over the grounds for the three day event.

The red circle is a bold, accessible and easily recognisable device that represents the event without reference to any one designer-maker’s work. By embracing all disciplines of design – from furniture to fashion – the identity unites the individuals and presents them as a stronger whole. The result is a visual identity that is clear, confident and cohesive – highlighting the Fair’s importance in the arts calendar.

Careful consistency was used in applying the finished identity across the range of marketing material, giving the event a singular and distinctive voice. In designing the event guide, we focused on producing a quick and easy to use reference, by reducing the design and information to the essentials, and giving as much possible emphasis to the work being shown.

As an addition to the main event, we were also asked to create an identity for Hidden Art Curated. Whereas the main exhibition takes place in the grounds of the house, Curated showcases contemporary design within the context of the house itself, with guest curators selecting work to show in key rooms. Our solution was a three-dimensional version of the red circle, which we placed and photographed in-situ, to represent the dynamic relationship that is created between the architecture and the contemporary design objects.

Photography
Two
Font
Gill Sans
Printer
St Austell Printing Company Limited
Paper
Regency Satin, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper, from Howard Smith Paper

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