A work of art as the image of an entire season
For the Mercat de les Flors 2019/20 season we commissioned an original work from Cinta Vidal instead of designing a poster. What we learned.
When a cultural venue programmes an entire season, with dozens of shows, artists and languages, the campaign image has to do something almost impossible: represent everything without erasing everything. For the Mercat de les Flors 2019/20 season we solved it in an unusual way: instead of building a visual around a photograph, we commissioned a work of art.
This article explains how we did it and what we learned. It is not a recipe, but the summary of a decision made with a specific client in a specific context.
The starting point: many atmospheres, a single image
The season was built around the theme «Territoris compartits, perspectives diverses»: theatre, dance, music, performance and media art, with bold shows that propose a change of perspective. No single scene could represent all of that without betraying the rest. The challenge was to give an image worthy of a venue that stands for contemporaneity and rupture.
Commissioning a work, not illustrating a poster
We commissioned an original work from Catalan artist Cinta Vidal: a micro-world where the characters and stage sets of the programmed shows coexist, with her characteristic play of perspectives and volumes. The campaign was named «Atmósferas».
From a single piece to a 360 campaign
We worked from images and videos of the programmed shows to build, piece by piece, the puzzle of iconic elements from each production. The painted work became the campaign visual, readable from any angle, and we adapted it to every format: printed pieces and digital versions.
What we take away
An original work gives a campaign a territory of its own that no stock image can offer: no one else has it, and every adaptation remains recognisable. It also orders the internal work, because every format decision starts from a single piece rather than a sum of loose parts.
The campaign received two professional design awards (Bronze at the Laus Awards 2020 and Gold at the C de C 2020) and a nomination at the ADCE Awards. Awards were not the goal, but they confirm the piece works beyond its context. The full case, with the gallery and the recognitions, is on the project page.