The Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) – Boston

For 75 years, Institute of Contemporary Art Boston (ICA Boston) has operated as a leading contemporary arts institution—championing groundbreaking artists and introducing pivotal global voices to U.S. audiences. Functioning as both museum and cultural incubator, the ICA advances experimentation across media through exhibitions, performance, film, and public programming, positioning itself as a platform for dialogue, critical inquiry, and artistic innovation.

As an extension of this mission, the ICA’s bi-monthly exhibition catalog served not simply as a communications tool, but as a collectible brand artifact. Distributed to members, the publication was designed to deepen engagement, reinforce institutional identity, and create continuity between the gallery experience and the home.

Our approach embraced a refined, minimalist design language. The square-format, matte-finish booklet prioritized materiality and tactility, framing internationally acclaimed works with editorial restraint. Photography was treated as the primary narrative vehicle, supported by disciplined typography and intentional use of white space to convey authority and curatorial confidence.

For the exhibition Marlene Dumas: One Hundred Models and Endless Rejects featuring Marlene Dumas, we translated the conceptual underpinnings of the work into the catalog’s visual structure. Four portrait images were unevenly cropped and subtly misaligned, creating a deliberate visual tension. The juxtaposition of varied poses and expressions echoed Dumas’ interrogation of beauty, vulnerability, and representation. The composition disrupted traditional symmetry, reinforcing the emotional complexity of the subject matter while maintaining overall design discipline.

The result was a publication that functioned as both institutional communication and curated object—aligning graphic design with curatorial intent and extending the ICA’s brand ethos beyond the physical exhibition space.