It is a known fact that the world of objects can influence a person’s development, determine their habits, choices and references. At the same time, the objects themselves, their shape and purpose, reflect the cultural values and technology advancements of the time and the country where they were created, so they all have a story to tell. It is believed that the Russian word veshch (вещь, an object) originated from the Latin vox, meaning ‘word’ or ‘voice’. We invite you to listen to the ‘voices’ of the objects and their creators brought to you by the exhibition’s seven thematic areas: Proto-Design, Avant-Garde, Modernism, Postmodernism, Ecodesign, Metamodernism and Future Design.

The Veshch: Talking Objects is an exhibition/installation held at he All-Russian Decorative Art Museum that introduces some of the most vivid examples of the 20th-century Russian design to the general public and provides insights on how they have inspired contemporary artists: from rethinking the folk art traditions and Russian avant-garde to the design of the space race era, custom art design, sustainable development concepts and hi-tech smart home systems. Most importantly, there is an unmistakable dialogue between the objects of the 20th and the 21st century that highlights the continuity of design ideas across generations.
We designed exhibition’s visual identity system and advertising campaign together with exhibition graphics. Each object was turned into a pictogram that were used across various media – from exhibition instagram account to audio guide, from exhibition labels to catalogue.