The National Museum in Kraków (MNK) is the largest museum in Poland and the main branch of Poland’s National Museum. It consists of 21 departments divided by art period: 12 galleries, two libraries and 12 conservation workshops, holding approximately 780,000 art objects.

The museum’s collections include a wide range of art – from antiquity to contemporary, crafts, objects, book collections and biographical exhibitions. The brand identity needed to showcase the diversity of MNK’s collections while clearly communicating that the branches are all part of one brand. The language of the visual identity needed be neutral and timeless enough not to overshadow the main heroes: the artworks themselves. It should not be strongly associated with a specific artistic trend, era, style or domain.

The new identity is based on the metaphor of weaving threads of inspiration and artworks into the vast body of art as the basis and DNA of the collection. The symbol is timeless and abstract in its geometric interpretation of classical typography. It is a graphic rendering of the abbreviated name of the museum – MNK – a recognisable and commonly used name by audiences.

The logo is based on a meticulously designed geometric grid that forms the basis for the layout system of the identity. To capture the diversity of the 12 branches of the museum and its collection, the first serif is a dynamic, changing form. Each shape is inspired by the art or building of the branch it represents.

Credits: 
Concept and Design: Podpunkt Studio
Creative Director: Emilka Bojańczyk
Concept/Design: Emilka Bojańczyk, Zuza Charkiewicz
Illustration: Zuza Charkiewicz
Animation: Ewa Najnigier-Galińska, Zuza Charkiewicz
Typeface: SungBleu Sanrise by Swiss Typefaces