The Library of Things We Forgot to Remember
Building a digital home for a multi-faceted library
Kudzanai Chiurai is a highly respected, contemporary Zimbabwean artist who has built an interactive sound and visual archive of black resistance, called The Library of Things We Forgot to Remember. While certain pieces from the collection had been curated and exhibited, the public had never been given access to interact with the Library as a whole.
The brief
To bring the Library into the public space, BBA was tasked with creating a visual identity for The Library of Things We Forgot to Remember that could be used for a digital platform and a semi-permanent physical space. In addition, we were asked to design and develop a scalable digital platform and assist in developing graphic elements for the physical space.
The transformation
Built around public access
We worked with Kudzanai Chiurai on a visual identity for the Library of Things We Forgot to Remember that used the public access font Courier as its base – playing off the idea that important libraries and collections such as this should be publicly accessible.
A virtual library experience
We designed and built a digital platform that could not just house this collection, but allow users to interact with it in intelligent ways. The design plays on the visuals of a library, with users able to click on the book-spine-like title of an exhibition to open it up. Past exhibitions were listed on the site too, as spotlight pieces, with learnings and insights from the curators.
Physical meets digital
We helped to design the physical space at 44 Stanley Avenue, Johannesburg, where the Library was physically exhibited for a set period. This included beautiful, big wall decals and signage to invite people into the space.
The showcase of cleverness
A visual identity to bring important black resistance artefacts into the public sphere.
The validation of purpose
BBA strongly believes in the value of art and making art widely accessible. More than that, we feel that the Library of Things We Forgot to Remember has incredible cultural value and needs to be a part of societal memory in the future. It’s important for collections such as these to be publicly accessible to encourage learning, compassion and change.