Troika was asked to create the exhibition identity for 'Listening Post' - an inter-media installation that collects live messages from the Internet drawing from resources such as chat rooms and bulletin boards. Scrolling texts run across the 'Listening Post' in different rhythms decided by content of the on-line resource used. The result is magical, musical and amazingly human, reminding you of sitting on a bench on a market square overhearing babblings, chats and voices surrounding you. It is the second exhibition of the new 2-year Science Museum Arts Programme (SMAP). The commission is an extension of Troika designing the overall visual identity for SMAP carrying on the banner system of the overall identity thus creating a strong yet versatile anchor. See also 'Maurice Broomfield's New Look at Industry'.
Concept
For the 'Listening Post' exhibition our aim was to define an identity that worked within our new 'SMAP' visual identity, while retaining distinctly different look and feel from previous material that had been published on the 'Listening Post'. Seeking to challenge traditions of media art we also wanted to avoid the visual language that is commonly associated with the field.
Design and Development
Our starting point were the messages that scroll across the 'Listening Post'. They run in 6 different cycles. These cycles are based on different content, e.g. a selection of all messages starting with 'I am'. Using this principal we developed graphic concept based on typographic interpretations of the messages. By doing this we created a language that was unique to the exhibition, furthermore offering scope by developing typographic variations for all the different printed applications. Leaflets, ads, catalogue and invite were given one size (A5), each cover showing one of the 6 cycles.
Also, keeping in line with the SMAP visual identity we custom-designed a headline font for the title based on the large letters of the Listening Post display. Subsequent fonts were then created for the typographic images.
