Design CommissionsDesign Commissions

Nerijus Rimkus designed a graphic identity for Disclosing Architecture, an initiative of the National Collection for Dutch Architecture and Urban Planning, of which the graphic design for the exhibition _Atelier Nelly and Theo van Doesburg _(2020) is an outgrowth. He also created the exhibition graphics for the exhibit Sleep Mode: The Art of the Screensaver (2017).

Nerijus Rimkus explains that he searches for a graphic motif that encapsulates the essence of a project and conveys it to the visitor. "Often, it's an abstract element that condenses the exhibition concept or an aspect of the process," he says. In the case of Atelier Nelly and Theo van Doesburg, this was a reference to the unusually large windows of the studio-house they built in Meudon, a suburb of Paris. "The design is perhaps initially more telling for those who know the house or have visited the exhibition in Het Nieuwe Instituut - for those who have not, I hope it is intriguing."

For the graphic identity of Disclosing Architecture, Het Nieuwe Instituut's programme to restore, digitise and increase the visibility of the National Collection for Dutch Architecture and Urban Planning, Rimkus developed a system of three elements superimposed on each other. "The first layer comprises images," he explains. "Existing architectural drawings and photographs from the collection of Het Nieuwe Instituut or new photographs documenting the restoration process. On top of this comes a graphic and a typographic layer. With these three simple building blocks, the graphic identity can be applied to a wide variety of projects."

The abstracted forms of the graphic layer are placed like a grid over the archival images, symbolising a process of disclosure. The exhibition Atelier Nelly and Theo van Doesburg, for example, underscores the vital role Nelly played in building and cementing the reputation of Van Doesburg and De Stijl. "I wanted to give visitors the impression that they were looking at the lives of Nelly and Theo from the outside, as though through a window or a keyhole," Rimkus explains. "I interpreted the iconic windows as a grid that covers the images, obscuring or revealing certain details. This helped to focus the viewer's gaze on Nelly, and leave Theo more or less out of the picture, to open up new ways of looking at their lives and work."

For the visual identity of Disclosing Architecture Rimkus designed a trapezoid shape, which represents both a perspective of the future and refers to the capital letter A. An abstracted letter D composes the second shape. Rimkus uses colours to emphasise the graphic layer, opting for grey and beige in reference to the envelopes and boxes in which the archival material is kept. A soft pink refers to other possible perspectives on the archive, which are highlighted in the project Collecting Otherwise. In the graphic layer this shifting view is represented by an asterisk, a typographic symbol that indicates footnotes, corrections or emotions in a text.

The ultimate design for _Atelier Nelly and Theo van Doesburg _is subtle, says Rimkus. "It's critical, perhaps even a little severe, but also crisp and transparent." His initial proposal gave more prominence to the house. "But after talking to the curators and spatial designers, I realised that the focus needed to be on Nelly. It was good to find that balance, and allow the house to serve as a tool to underline the importance of Nelly van Doesburg to the De Stijl movement."

The exhibition _Atelier Nelly and Theo van Doesburg _offers a new look at the work of Nelly and Theo van Doesburg, thanks to the recent restoration of their architecture archive. The centrepiece of the exhibition is the couple's most striking joint project: their studio-house in Meudon, a suburb of Paris. Sketches, drawings and models that have rarely (if ever) been exhibited reveal the house's rich history.

Exhibition presented by internet artist Rafaël Rozendaal about the screensaver. Rozendaal questions the anonymity and ephemerality of the screensaver and is fascinated by its subversive, playful and diffuse character. He creates an immersive space for the visitor that captures the extraordinary visual language of this virtually lost medium.

Nerijus Rimkus is an independent Lithuanian designer who works and lives in Marijampolė and Amsterdam. He studied graphic design at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy and obtained a master's degree in 2016 at Werkplaats Typografie in Arnhem. Since then, he has worked on various projects, both self-initiated and for clients.

website Nerijus Rimkus