Portals and Pathways: A Journey through Reality and Imagination
"Portals and Pathways" is the inaugural exhibition of the Nuhad Es-Said Pavilion for Culture, the new annex of the National Museum of Beirut, a space designed to foster cultural exchanges and exploration. Organized by BeMA (Beirut Museum of Art), the exhibition brings together restored modern works from the Lebanese Ministry of Culture's Collection, alongside modern and contemporary pieces on loan from private collections and artists. This intersection of different artistic languages and historical periods allows for an immersive journey through memory, myths, perception, and territory, offering a dialogue between reality and imagination.
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-scope Ateliers developed the visual identity for the exhibition, integrating symbols from the Pavilion's architectural design and the exhibition's narrative structure. The emblem—formed from the letters "PP" (for Portals and Pathways and "Portes et passages"), and the Arabic initials for "بوبات وممرات"—embodies the theme of passage, connecting past and present.
This graphic system was extended across all exhibition materials—branding, wall graphics, cartels, illustrated cartels designed specifically for children, printed pamphlets, and a dedicated art book—ensuring visual continuity while adapting to different modes of reading and engagement throughout the space.
The primary challenge was to create an identity capable of bridging multiple languages, audiences, and historical layers, while remaining legible, inclusive, and coherent within the architectural and institutional context of the National Museum of Beirut.
