“In art we trust”
Visual identity for Nikolaj Kunsthal
By personifying the art centre – Nikolaj – and letting it speak – “Let there be art”, Nikolaj preaches its passion for art through “Biblical” quotes. By saying, “I’m not a church” – what you see is not necessarily what you get!

Project details
Nikolaj Kunsthal is an art centre in inner Copenhagen, located in a former church from the 12th century. The task was to create an identity, which expresses the mission of the art centre, while at the same time benefitting from the unique location of the church room. The new identity also had to ensure that the disadvantage of the location (the fact that many people pass by every day, dismissing it as a church and do not come inside) was turned into an advantage.
By personifying the art centre – Nikolaj – and letting it speak – “Let there b eart”, Nikolaj preaches its passion for art through “Biblical” quotes. By saying, “I’m not a church” – what you see is not necessarily what you get! (“Ceci n’est pas une pipe”).
Nikolaj creates curiosity and turns the art centre’ sonly disadvantage into a blessing. The stringent colour scheme of the art centre’s corporate identity (gold, black and white) ensures recognition, and allows the posters/material for individual exhibitions to stand out, while at the sametime expressing the art centre’s vision. This means that every new exhibit, no matter how different from the last, becomes a part of, and strengthens Nikolaj’s holistic identity.

The stringent colour scheme of the art centre’s corporate identity (gold, black and white) ensures recognition, and allows the posters and material for each exhibition to stand out, while at the same time expressing the art centre’s vision.



Contact
Per Madsen
- Creative director & founder
- pm@idnagroup.com
- +45 22 20 00 63
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