Digital Benin

‘Digital Benin’ aims to digitally bring together art objects from the former Kingdom of Benin that are currently scattered around the world. With the digital platform, the various objects will be cataloged in their entirety and made accessible to the public for the first time. The digital platform will create a unique and sustainable resource that will allow for the return of the objects from institutions around the world to Nigeria in the near future.

First and foremost, we took on the task of creating a corporate design to serve as the basis for the digital platform and all other media. Of central importance in the development of the appearance was the theme of bringing together and returning the works of art. It was important to us to integrate the seriousness of the historical background and the destiny of this project into the design. In this context, we have adopted a 'braided pattern', which is a recurring motif in the works of art, as a supporting element for the design. This is symbolic of connection, of merging and of synergy.

This central motif and other details of the bronzes such as ornaments and patterns replace letters in the word mark and become flexible design elements in the communication. In this way we create a flexible system that fully exploits the brand's identity and does justice to the complexity of the works of art. The corporate design reflects dynamism and openness; it is embedded in history yet creates a link to the present.