Fu Yingqing

IN our constantly changing world, it is perhaps more appropriate to notice not only the aesthetic keys in art designs, but also the energy flow expressed by today’s designers. The exhibition Social Energy — Contemporary Communication Design from the Netherlands is a modern art extravaganza that unfolds a large variety of contemporary graphic designs and design groups from the Netherlands.

Opened Saturday, the two-month Social Energy features more than 300 projects from 11 important Dutch designers such as Irma Boom, Karel Martens, Lust, Mooren & van der Velden and Studio Dumbar, all pioneers in various communication design fields.

The exhibition was held in Chengdu and Beijing this fall. Inspired by music, sociology, media, linguistics, popular culture and product development, these designers demonstrate through books, brand identity, maps, architectural graphics, signage, video and animation, how their work today has changed from purely graphic design to communication design.

Among the designers is Studio Dumbar, comprised of a group of internationally renowned designers based in the Netherlands. Founded in 1977, the studio stands for top-notch designs, and today it has a branch office in Shanghai. The studio presented a series of graphic designs related to business and branding. The concept of “visual identity” was explored by Studio director Tom Dorresteijn with a series of images called “The Dutch Police Force,” created in 1993. The images merge the spirit of two previously autonomous police organizations — namely, the state and municipal corps — and the interest of the public, embodying all three in a three-word trademark.