La Vitrina
Artist-owned event space
Logo, Brand Strategy
Genesis
Brand Strategy, Type Design & Brand Extension: Pedro Medina
This is the case of a project that lies in a loose space between a community initiative, a commercial endeavor, an artist's dream, and even a statement of self-agency. La Vitrina is the kind of project that requires a graphic identity capable of flowing in many directions. In a world filled with uncertainty, both projects and brands alike must have the capacity to adapt to change while also staying true to their authentic core values.
Natalia Sánchez had a project in mind, and our job was not only to create a malleable visual identity but also to ground the dream into words that make sense. La Vitrina is, first and foremost, a space. Sometimes it is an art exhibition, sometimes a maker's market. When it comes to futures, there are many possibilities: from art residencies and curatorial programs to community initiatives. But the vision is simple: to revitalize Arecibo's art and cultural heritage while providing artists with a non-traditional space to showcase their work.
One word kept coming up as we conceptualized La Vitrina's identity: Resignify — to give new meaning to what was. The building in which the project is born has been abandoned for many years, like many other buildings in the area. Even Natalia's work ponders on this situation in her project País Espejo, where she documents and deconstructs Arecibo’s current urban landscape and reconfigures it as a reflection: "If we shape the landscape that in turn shapes us, then we become a mirror of our landscape." La Vitrina serves as an extension of this thought; it outgrows the artist to become a space that brings people, art, and the community together. This interrelatedness is brought visually with a design system that involves iconography and connecting lines, a treatment that extends to the typography and visual language.