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This design solution focuses on the idea of inclusion, and the celebration of differences inherent in cultural expressions/cultural media—Music, Dance, Calligraphy, Film, Arts, Crafts—as identified in the competition brief. The logo was prompted by the realization that in order to safeguard the uniqueness of cultural media, they need to be acknowledged, placed on an equal footing, and valued as such.
The resulting design offers universally identifiable symbols as a means of denoting the identified cultural expressions, and by extension, diverse cultures. A beamed crotchet represents Music; two abstracted figures denote Dance (but also Calligraphy); a camera signifies Photography; a paint brush tape symbolizes Calligraphy (but also Arts and Crafts), and so on. In order to reflect the spirit of a festival, the cultural expressions are depicted in a lively interplay, producing a useful “duality” of the constituting elements.
In this creative interplay, the note heads of the beamed crotchet function not only as the heads of the dancing figures, but also as the lens of a camera. Similarly, the dancing figures also recall the stylized form of a calligraphy character. Formally, the doubling yields a cohesive emblem of otherwise distinct forms, but figuratively, it seeks to showcase the inevitable but respectful exchange/dialogue between cultural expressions. As importantly, the strategy illustrates the limitless possibilities embedded in a diverse collection of disparate elements (cultures)—thereby, highlighting their value and the need for their continued existence.