Kontrapunkt - brand identity

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A bespoke identity

For HEART Herning Museum of Contemporary Art, the design agency Kontrapunkt created an attention-grapping name, Heart, and shaped the museum’s new graphic identity and logo through the vehicle of a bespoke typeface. Together, these elements help shape an identity which links art and architecture to the history that created the place as well as the vibrant pulse of Herning. 

A pulse of Art

The name heart, a contraction of the words Herning and art, offers a hint of the close links between art and emotion. Says Bo Linnemann, partner and senior designer at Kontrapunkt, speaking of the inception of the name: “The previous designation “House of Art” was too dull. If you want to stand out and be remembered today, at a time where the cultural scene is filled to overflowing with offers, you have to do something different. It took a little time for the people behind the museum to fully take in the new name, but now they love it. It has so many connotations. Heart. Heartbeat. Pulse. Life. It is a name which stirs things up, which hits you right in the chest – it is not a name that one forgets in a hurry.”

Bespoke typeface

Kontrapunkt has a long tradition for creating bespoke typefaces for clients. A unique type can do as much to create a distinct character as can a logo or a palette of colours. The cornerstone of HEART’s new visual identity is such a bespoke typeface, inspired by the local region’s once-famed shirt factory Angli. Patterns for shirt sleeves, seams, and lengths of fabric inspired the ambitious architecture of the building, an inspiration which has been elaborated upon by Kontrapunkt in a typeface where the folds and cut ends of textiles have been transposed to a characteristic type. The typeface is used in all kinds of graphic communication, e.g. logos, signs, posters, etc., thereby providing an anchor for the overall identity within in building.

Identity as brand

In the case of Heart, Kontrapunkt wove together the museum’s name, typeface, and architecture to create a distinct identity which can, in time, act as a unique signature for the museum – and, indeed, for the entire region. “Modern art is no longer elitist. Museums such as the Guggenheim in Bilbao and Tate Modern at the South Bank of London have proven that art in the right setting can make masterpieces accessible to all – and help create regional brands,” say Martin Lasthein Hansen, Creative Director bat Kontrapunkt. He continues, “Heart places Herning firmly on the world map of the contemporary art scene, and we are very proud to have been part of the process.”

About Kontrapunkt

The design and brand agency Kontrapunkt specializes in creating identities for multinational corporations and government organizations. Clients include Carlsberg, DSB, Danske Bank, DNP, Microsoft, Novo Nordisk, Billund Airport, and the Association of Danish Pharmacies. Over the course of the last 20 years, Kontrapunkt has won countless prizes for their subtle, sensitive fusions of identity and design. In addition to HEART, Kontrapunkt has also created many other cultural institutions in Denmark such as the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, the National Museum of Denmark, the Danish Ministry of Culture, Louisiana Museum of Contemporary Art, the Royal Danish Theatre, and the Royal Danish Library.

Museum Hours

Tuesday - Sunday: 10-17

Thursday: 10-22

Monday: Closed

Admission & Tickets