Kummer & Herrman we design stories

The project

Portrait of a developing region
The Zaanstreek is the oldest industrial area in Europe. Along the banks of the river Zaan distinctive industry has been in steady retreat in recent years. Vacant factory buildings are demolished or assigned new purposes, with different residents or users, giving rise to an exceptional mix of living and working.

In ‘Currents. The Zaan in motion’, documentary photographers Bert Verhoeff and David Galjaard – both new residents of the Zaanstreek – capture an exciting portrait of this developing region. Social housing next to towering silos, swimsuits next to old food factories, and recreational boats among meters-long flatboats.

The exhibition

A multi-layered dynamic visual landscape
The Zaans Museum came to us with a clear wish: this photography exhibition should breathe a totally different atmosphere from the rest of the museum. With the words ‘fresh’, ‘surprising’, and ‘colorful’ in mind, Mayra and Rene worked on a design in which photography takes center stage.

The photographic work consists of a combination of street photography, lenticular series, and portraits. Each of the three is given its own medium and format in the exhibition to underline the layering. To bring air into the design, we make maximum use of the hall’s height. Almost all the photos hang in clusters from the high ceiling, creating vistas and sightlines that create exciting visual connections between the images.

The graphic identity of the exhibition clearly reflects the transition that is happening in the Zaan region. We translated the changes so strongly present in Bert and David’s work into a recognizable exhibition logo that connects the exhibition, campaign, and publication. Combined with four fresh colors that form a strong contrast to the dark green that typifies the Zaanstreek, the result is an exhibition with a surprising face that portrays the changes in the region in a dynamic, layered way.

The publication

A photo publication accompanies the exhibition and traces Bert and David’s walk along the Zaan, from north to south, from Westknollendam to Zaandam.

The book reflects the layering and transition of the project. Not only in the photos, which take up most of the book, but also in the design. By using shortened pages, some images overlap. This creates surprising vistas and engages the images in conversation, so to speak. The lenticular series are presented on fold-outs, making it easy to see the changes over time.