Dancing Before the Moon, British Pavilion, Venice Biennale 2023

Published May 6, 2025

Titled Dancing Before the Moon, the British Pavilion for the 2023 Venice Biennale shows how people from different cultures make sense of the world through ritualistic acts. The curatorial theme resonated with us on a visceral level. It evokes the rituals in our cultural heritage and the significance of these being given space inside the British Pavilion.

Dancing Before the Moon promotes the idea that everyday rituals (from growing food and cooking to playing games and dancing) are tools for diasporic communities to establish spaces and presents new ways of thinking about architecture and the built environment. The exhibition reflects on ancestral practices of the artist’s homelands.

Description of the project by the designers of TEMPLO:

Drawing on our shared cultural heritage as a studio, we created a ritualistic visual identity of diffused edges and portals, reflecting the rituals of the British diaspora. Diffused edged imagery and colours are a reference to Asian and African visual styles. The colour palette is also a nod to the pavilion title and celestial light. Shapes representing the artists’ commissions act as portals into the pavilion echoing the migration journey.

The visual identity invites all the audiences into the pavilion both in person and digitally through the overall brand of the pavilion, film, social media assets, merchandise, exhibition graphics and a nationwide advertising campaign.

The whole identity uses three typefaces: ALT Maria Clara in the original cut designed by Alli Cunanan, Ginto for the headlines and quotes, and Marfa for all the body copy and information.

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