Caserne designs the identity for Arthur Jafa's Love Is the Message, the Message Is Death exhibition

The Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal, or MAC Montréal, was founded in 1964, making it the first museum devoted to contemporary art in Canada. Since then, it has become a fundamental part of the city’s culture by bringing the work of local and international artists to the heart of Montréal’s Quartier des Spectacles.

Between January and March 2020, the MAC is presenting the work of artist and filmmaker Arthur Jafa. The collection, titled Love Is the Message, the Message Is Death, is a rapid-fire montage of images from a mesmerising range of sources, set to Kanye West’s The Life of Pablo opener, Ultralight Beam. The work recognises the widespread circulation of images showing the abuse of black bodies on YouTube. By being a celebration of black creativity and excellence, and a depiction of the violence of the state, the immersive projection presents powerful and devastating manifestations of physical restraint and liberation.

The identity for the exhibition was created by local design studio Caserne. The visuals, seen on the posters and catalogue, play with positive and negative space as an interpretation of both the beauty and madness of the topics addressed in the artwork. The bold typography is also a reminder of manifestation, taking inspiration from the style often seen on protest placards.

Caserne

Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal