Leeum
How to rebrand a cultural institution? Celebrate convergence not difference through experience and participation
The Leeum Museum of Art, based in Seoul, South Korea, and run by the Samsung Foundation of Culture, has been passionately building its collection of Korean, international modern and contemporary art since it opened its doors in 2004.
In a world where there has been a trend towards increasing divergence and polarisation, Leeum had a mission to celebrate a different cultural attitude for the people and visitors of South Korea.
Its ambition was to become an open 21st century museum of convergence - contributing to the creation of culture through communication.
A place where people could see and discuss traditional, contemporary and international art all in one place.
With an opportunity to relaunch the museum after the pandemic, Leeum needed a brand that could reflect this ambition.
A dynamic identity that embodies the ever-changing nature of art
We created a new identity for Leeum, all building from the new dynamic logo - a rotating form capturing the cyclical nature of time and reflecting the form of the Leeum’s Rotunda building.
It embodies the revolutionary, ever-changing nature of art, inviting and encouraging visitors to interact and experience the art - not to be passive observers but active participants.
The design system supporting the new logo needed to be flexible enough to adapt to the broad nature of exhibits, artists and events that would be held in the museum - to adapt and respect the beauty of the past, as well as embrace the vision of the future.
The introduction of scale as a key design element enabled the brand to either lead the way or take a more recessive role. And with a new set of motion behaviours, colours and typefaces, the celebration of art could be made more engaging for all.
The brand experience
The brand launched when the museum reopened after the global pandemic lockdown.
We supported the development of guidance and direction for how the new identity could be activated across a broad range of touchpoints along the customer experience - from signage and communications to social media and future augmented reality experiences.