Designing for art projects comes with special requirements. It is tempting to keep it simple and typographic, not using all the elements of graphic design. A more complex solution, like a symbolic image, can be much more communicative. But it needs to maintain a certain neutrality, so it doesn’t get mixed up with the art it is going to serve. The exhibition “Watched! Surveillance, Art and Photography” at the Hasselblad Foundation featured a range of artists and photographers reflecting on the impacts of surveillance. Our challenge was to find a communicative solution that could represent the theme — but also be approved by everyone involved. We started from the concept of being watched, and constructed an eye with the character of an optical illusion. Close up it vibrates and is almost abstract, but at a distance, it clarifies into a watching eye. The impression of being watched conveyed discomfort and also made it fun to display in the museum shops, creating an impact of surveillance.
The book was published by Walther König and was listed as one of »The most beautiful photo books 2016« by TIME Magazine.
