Updating the visual identity

In the spring of 2021, I made a redesign of The Cinematheque’s visual identity, starting with the program catalog. The Cinematheque operates in a strong visual world full of references that are loved by many. Therefore, the new identity is inspired by the world of film – with strong and magical film images in a big format that draws the reader in, famous quotes that evoke personal film memories, and phenakistoscope illustrations that entertain and flirt with the cineasts.

The graphic design is centered around the beautiful typeface Ivar by Letters from Sweden, a gentle modernization of the typeface palette from previously used Times New Roman, paired with Akzidenz Grotesk. Alongside a clean and stripped-down design inspired by Swiss design traditions together with Scandinavian influences, the original identity of The Swedish Film Institute lives on in an updated and warmer version.

Designing the catalouge

Every season between 2021 and 2024, The Swedish Film Institute published a catalog presenting the season's theme. In total, there were six catalogs, each exploring film in relation to themes such as memory, exile, the body, happiness, lies, and crisis.

As a wink to the cineasts and a way to invoke the curiosity of the reader, a sequence of images and phenakistoscope illustrations ran through the catalog – in the first edition Muybridge's famous galloping horse. When the reader flipped through the thick catalog, the sequence was animated and by that connects the object's physical movement to the film as a medium. Each cover had a punched circle that showed the season's theme manifest. When the reader opened the catalog, the circle turned into an eye – a reference to the giant staring eye that architect Peter Celsing placed on the Film House's rear facade that faces the office of The Swedish Armed Forces, after being prohibited to add windows for security reasons. A mischievous rebellious comment then, and a tribute to the Swedish Film Institute's history today.

The first three catalouges was printed in a big format, 240x340 mm, and the last three was released on the smaller format 170x240 mm. All of them consisted of around 270 pages.