As part of a pioneering digital initiative, the National Gallery of Australia is transforming how it presents exhibitions to the world. Printed publications have long been a mainstay of the Gallery’s offering and a critical instrument in delivering on its mission to be at the forefront of a national cultural agenda.
For its Ceremony exhibition, the NGA commissioned us to reframe the publication as a living and breathing reflection of art, presented through the story of the artist. A digital publication, if you will, but something more than a reinterpretation of a venerated media format. It wanted to give the artist another platform to show their intent, to unravel how they see ceremonies in their own lives and communities. A space to speak in their own voice, on their own terms and in their own language.
Curated by Arrernte/Kalkadoon woman Hetti Perkins, she describes her approach as:
Her interviews with each of the artists along with beautifully composed portraiture allow us to reveal their thoughts and contemplations throughout the publication.
Our goal was to design an interface and develop a publishing platform that would elevate the artist’s voice, be welcoming, and feel like a new and enriching experience. Using intimate films, arresting location footage, detailed process-making sequences, and studio photography as the visual centrepiece, the digital publication immerses the viewer into the world of the artist.
The outcome is a renewable publishing format that evolves the much-celebrated traditions of print publishing.
Ceremony’s visual abundance is its strength. We utilised a bold and intimate approach to the design that interwove these stunning portraits with evocative process videos, revealing their inspirations and showcasing their work in a way that is authentic, raw, and potent.
Our scalable design language accommodates a wide range of user types — from the academic to the curious. Our publishing technology provides seamless integration with the Gallery’s existing backend services and content management processes, to provide them with utility that extends beyond this single exhibition.
This award-winning collaboration, which deeply examined the intersection of established publishing traditions and new, innovative media, resulted in this first-of-its-kind renewable digital resource.
