Scope
Concept, Exhibition Design, Signage, Marketing, Book Design, Final Art

Kiruna Forever
An exhibition produced by ArkDes,
the Swedish Centre for Architecture and Design
2020 – 21

Kiruna – a city in the northernmost part of Sweden – is experiencing one of the biggest urban transformation projects in recent history. The city is being relocated by three kilometres due to the expansion of the mine around which Kiruna was built. A third of the population must relocate, housing blocks and landmark buildings are being demolished or moved, and a new city is taking shape. But how do you move a city?

Kiruna Forever examines the ongoing relocation of Kiruna featuring over 100 works by architects, urban planners and artists who have transformed the community and addressed the challenges facing the the region from the first industrial settlements, today, and into the future. Putting the relocation of Kiruna into a historical and geographical context, the exhibition reflects on the big questions that such a complex project raises.

The design concept is a visual interpretation of the many dualities associated with Kiruna and its relocation. These include: history vs. future, peace vs. destruction, utopia vs. reality, and industry vs. nature. The duality theme is expressed through a series of poster pairs, where images and typography are juxtaposed to highlight the opposing forces involved in the complex process of moving an entire city.

To reinforce this idea, two contrasting typefaces were used — serif for Swedish and sans serif for English — throughout the title design and all other communications. This bilingual typographic system proved effective for object labels and the exhibition publication.

The fluorescent yellow color was inspired by the safety vests and workwear worn by mine workers. It also echoes the high-visibility tape used to cordon off areas of the city during the relocation process. Exhibition signage and area texts were screen-printed onto moving blankets, further emphasizing the theme of transition and movement.

Credits
Graphic Design: Magdalena Czarnecki
Graphic Design Assistant: Elin Laghammar
Exhibition Architect: Pernilla Ohrstedt
Exhibition Photo: Erik Lefvander / Johan Dehlin
Curator: Carlos Mínguez Carrasco
Assistant Curator: Sujy Lee
Exhibition Producer: Johanna Fogel
Digital Communication: Justina Hüll

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