(02) Tactical Analysis
Giedroyc was an editor, publisher and political thinker, while “Kultura” remained a space for independent debate for more than half a century. With access to the Literary Institute’s photographic archive, we analysed images from different decades, places and situations. Rather than choosing one representative portrait, we treated this diversity as material for showing the many roles and stages of his life.
(03) Strategy
The key was an editorial approach to the archive – selecting, cropping and combining materials from different periods. This method also reflects Giedroyc’s own role as an editor who built “Kultura” over decades from texts, authors, ideas and debates. The photographs do not form a single definitive portrait. Each composition reveals different moments, relationships and roles, building a multifaceted image of Giedroyc.
(04) Big Idea
The symbol was inspired by Krzysztof M. Bednarski’s 1983 work “Victoria-Victoria” – a hand making the V sign with truncated fingers, created during martial law as a commentary on the suppression of Solidarity. In the logo, we combined the letter G with a transformed V gesture. The reference also relates to Giedroyc’s view of Solidarity: he regarded it as a major movement, but criticised the euphoria surrounding it and the overestimation of its potential.
(05) Visual Mechanism
Collage is the second pillar of the identity. Archival photographs from different years are combined with drawing, typography, dates, quotations and fragments of documents. Photomontage brings different moments in the biography into a single image instead of making one photograph define the communication. The result is an archive-based visual language that can develop successive chapters in the story of Giedroyc.
(06) Activation
The system was designed to work across different scales – from social media to publications, invitations, posters, citylight displays, flags and event visuals. The logo, typography and composition rules remain constant, while photographs, quotations and archival materials change with the programme themes. This allows each application to show a different side of Giedroyc while keeping the Year’s identity recognisable.
(01) Project Definition
The Senate of the Republic of Poland designated 2026 as the Year of Jerzy Giedroyc, marking the 120th anniversary of his birth and the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Literary Institute. The creative direction was reviewed by representatives of five institutions involved in the Year’s celebrations. The project brought together the story of Giedroyc and the Paris-based “Kultura” without relying on a single established portrait.
