The Aesthetics of Fencing is an exhibition conceptualized to showcase fencing through the lens of historical analysis. It touches on both its ever-evolving loyalty to beauty, and how its creation and development is tied to class divide throughout the centuries it’s existed.
Museum-goers and history-fanatics can enjoy diving into the reasons and consequences of the sport placing such an importance on its visuals. It’s a gallery made for all publics, but especially for adults around the ages of 20-40 and with an already existing interest on design, art, or fencing.
Finding an equally ‘beautiful’ and ‘elegant’ tone for the products was the biggest priority, therefore creating brochures and posters that are as enigmatic as they are pleasant to the eye, all while keeping fencing motives (the chrome of the swords, mesh on the masks...) visible as well.
The custom lettering was conceptualized in Hangeul, the Korean alphabet, as it was a close acquaintance who inquired about the project and chose to locate the gallery in a Korean venue (which is still to be secured, which is why there’s a placeholder address for now).
Using the word ‘fencing’ in Korean, 펜싱, I sketched both vertical and horizontal versions of the logo to translate into 3D software and give a shiny, but still realistic material. The shapes are designed after movements observed in photographs of matches, as well as the sabre and abstract ‘strikes’ drawn in the air when sparring.
As it is considered a fancy sport, the color scheme I chose was a simple black and white. This way, it portrays both the coldness and seriousness of elegance, as well as its calculative side: fencing is a very precise endeavour. It also helps remind the audience of the long history behind the practice, an important note to the exhibition.
I created the rest of the products for ‘The Aesthetics of Fencing’ around this logotype, and utilizing other characteristics of the sport.
For the main brochure, which briefly introduces the exhibition and layout of the floor, I split it into unequal parts (on the outermost pages) to represent the jumps and steps fencers take while in combat. In 150 gsm black paper, it makes use of white toner to print out the images and text.
Finally, as a way to leave a memorable souvenir, I sketched and rendered out a ‘business card’ that is made out of wire to resemble the mesh mask fencers wear. Using additional wire between the grid, I was able to draw out the lettering to leave a mark of the visual identity.