Branding for Galleries
A brand that does not stand between work and visitor, from the catalogue raisonné through the opening invitation to the wall label. For galleries across Germany.
A gallery rarely sells just a picture. It sells a view, a programme, a connection between artist and collector. It starts at the opening invitation in the mailbox and ends at the wall label the buyer flicks with her fingernail the day after the purchase. Anyone promising one world on the invitation and showing a second, third, fourth one in the room loses the trust a gallery needs to mediate work.
Where a gallery brand actually wins
Most collectors decide in two moments. First when they see the invitation, then when they stand in front of the work with the catalogue in hand. In between sit a website, maybe a press photo in a newspaper, an artist bio by mail. A strong gallery brand makes sure these stations tell one position together rather than undercutting each other. An invitation in the current style with a catalogue raisonné from last season reads like two different galleries.
In a market where hundreds of programmes appear every year between major houses and off-spaces, a calm and consistent identity is not decoration but the condition for recognition. So we open with a brand strategy, clarify programme logic and tone, and translate that into brand design and a typography that is not swapped out every six weeks.
What we actually deliver
A typical gallery project covers logo and wordmark, a visual identity with a clearly set type architecture, the catalogue raisonné as a recurring layout, the opening invitation (print and digital), the press photo sheet, the wall label system, a lean web presence with an online catalogue, and the stationery with letterhead, invoice and artist contract. When an exhibition catalogue is published, book design joins the brief. For fairs like Art Cologne or Positions, a booth concept is part of the package, making the gallery recognisable on 24 square metres without stealing the wall from the work.
- 01
Restrained, not generic
A gallery brand must not shout over the work. We build a system that carries from behind and disappears in front without becoming anonymous.
- 02
Typography as protagonist
Wall label, catalogue raisonné, press photo sheet and artist bio live from a clear type architecture. We choose pairing and hierarchy so the thirtieth entry in the list still reads well.
- 03
Print that survives the opening
Invitations, press kits, catalogues. We design for papers and processes that get passed on after the opening, instead of disappearing in the cloakroom after three days.
- 04
Built to carry across exhibitions
Programme changes every six weeks, plus off-site, art fair and collector visits. The identity carries the full year instead of being reset for each position.
Frequently asked
- What does branding for a gallery cost?
- A gallery branding with logo, visual identity, catalogue raisonné template and a base kit for the opening and wall labels typically lands between €5,000 and €14,000. We clarify the scope in a first conversation, depending on the number of exhibitions per year, the print volume, and whether a website is part of the project.
- How long does a gallery project take from strategy to the first opening?
- A full project with new brand, website and print applications takes 8 to 14 weeks. A pure rework of the catalogue raisonné and the invitation series is realistic in 4 to 6 weeks. When an opening date is fixed, we plan print backwards.
- Do you also design the catalogue raisonné and the exhibition catalogue?
- Yes. We build both the running catalogues per exhibition and the annual or position catalogue. Image selection, captions, work list and essay run in a layout that does not start from scratch each time. On request we also support editing and print production.
- What about wall labels and visitor guidance in the gallery?
- Wall label, room text and small notices are part of the brand work. We define format, type, hanging and paper so that switching between two exhibitions on a Monday is possible without an intern inventing a new label each time.
- Do you work across Germany?
- Yes. Galleries in every region of Germany are part of our normal project landscape, from large cities to off-space locations. Briefings, artist interviews and print approvals run entirely remote. On-site visits for openings, hanging tests or artist meetings are planned separately.
Start a project?
Tell me briefly what it is about — in a 30-minute first conversation we clarify whether and how we can work together.