To mark the new partnership between the National Museum of China and Beifang University of Nationalities, 2x4 Beijing designed the exhibition Tradition@Present: Timeless Style of Chinese Ethnic Attire which was held at the Chinese National Museum of Ethnology from November 28 to December 12, 2016. The exhibition featured over 150 objects from simple tools to intricate textiles and outfits, rethinking the dichotomy between tradition and modernity. The exhibition told a story in four chapters: Time, Space, Craft and Continuum. The final chapter featured a series of supergraphics printed on wallpaper that combined and collaged elements of portraiture and textiles with nature, turning traditional objects into visions of modernity.
We designed the branding and exhibition graphics, including the logotype, poster, leaflet, stickers, wallpaper, labels, and videos. We developed our lexicon for the branding from patterns found in the clothing, both complex and geometrical. The Chinese characters that form the logotype act as a distinct mark and motif that connects elements of the exhibition: from a motion graphic video, to stickers that visitors adhere to a wall.
