The exhibition tells the story of Jan Henryk Dabrowski, a national hero known if only for his national anthem. His biography became the backdrop for building an engaging arrangement, with something for history buffs, tourist attraction trackers and even casual visitors. The exhibition can be explored in a variety of ways: discover interesting facts about Dabrowski and his times, view military objects, period memorabilia and large-format graphics, listen to the general's stories, solve puzzles and try on Napoleonic-era soldier uniforms. At the end of the tour, come face to face with AI-generated Dabrowski, who talks about his life with a wink.
This time we had the opportunity to produce the exhibition with full responsibility for all its elements. We started by coming up with its theme and intriguing title, developed the content and adapted the arrangement to it, and wrapped everything in a visual identity that interpreted the historical theme in a modern way. We also took care of contacts with museums and collectors, which resulted in the display of more than 50 original objects and collectible replicas. For each item, we prepared an understandable and interesting description, as well as an aesthetically pleasing and impressive setting.
A key element of our work was to design an appropriate logotype, to which we selected typography that fit with the substantive assumptions of the exhibition. The main graphic element became the rhombus, which appeared in the arrangement, promotional and educational materials. In the visual identity, we used the colors navy blue and red characteristic of the uniforms of Polish legionaries. In this way, we created content that we filled with text, illustrations or graphics as needed. The result was a coherent and modern visual message that refers to the historical context of the exhibition, and above all is clear and attractive to the modern viewer.
How to present the biography of a national hero so as not to bore anyone? We transferred it to the fields of a large-format board game. The rules are very simple: you just need to follow the direction of the tour marked by arrows and field numbers. In each of the five sections into which the exhibition space has been divided, you can see original and replica objects related to its title character and the times in which he lived. We start with the field Dabrowski's Youth and move on to the following: Service in the Polish Army, Polish Legions in Italy, On the Side Track, Collector from Winna Gora.
Taking the biography of General Dabrowski, we had to deal with military themes. Military strategies, battles, uniforms and weapons required us to have an appropriate design approach. We didn't want to exude military style, but to create a space friendly to learning about history and evoking curiosity in visitors. We framed the original military crates with visual identity elements and created time capsules for period uniforms that visitors can try on. In the center of the exhibition we also arranged an installation of suspended militaria: sabers, rifles and cleavers, which is a perfect complement to the boards with illustrations of the uniforms of the armies from the time of the Polish Legions and the Duchy of Warsaw.
In order for the exhibition to achieve its goals well and serve the largest possible audience, it is worth taking care of the educational elements. In the case of the exhibition on General Dabrowski, we decided to develop and produce worksheets and coloring books, presentations for teachers and a radio play. Each of these elements is available in the exhibition space and makes visiting the exhibition more attractive. In the design process, we also envisioned the possibility of making them available online on the client's website, so they can be used without being at the exhibition in person. Certainly, such a package will be a great support in school education, in which Jan Henryk Dabrowski has his important place.
A well-designed visual identity is one that allows for extensive use in promotional and marketing creations, both printed and used on the Internet. The modern juxtaposition of geometric rhombus layouts and the contrasting combination of dark blue and red colors, we filled freely with illustrations, thematic graphics and text messages. For the exhibition communication, we made posters, flyers, invitations and banners for social media, the client's website and the press. The identity also worked well on a large-format installation mounted on the wall of the building adjacent to the exhibition and a lightbox located at the entrance to the exhibition.
