National Museum of the American Indian: Native New York

Category
Environmental, Motion

Studio
C&G Partners

Role
Concept and design development, production

Date
2021

Native New York is an exhibition at the National Museum of the American Indian that delves into the vast history of the New York land we live in, and its relevence today.

Long before there was a New York State, its lands encompassed thousands of Native towns, cornfields, fishing grounds, and territories. Europeans migrated to these lands, intending to stay. This forced some Native New Yorkers to seek safety elsewhere.

Other Native people managed to remain,and their descendants live here today. Still other Native communities moved into New York, seeking alliances and new homes.

Today these Native people all remain deeply connected to their New York homelands.

Press & Awards
Anthem Awards, Silver

New York Design Awards 2022 Better Future Award, Gold

Dezeen—“Native New York” longlisted in the Exhibition Design category of Dezeen Awards 2022

SEGD—2022 SEGD Global Design Award, Merit Award in the Exhibition Design category

2022 RGD So(cial) Good Design Award in the Arts & Culture category

CBS New York—Aims To Foster Better Understanding Of Culture, History

Timeout—a new, ongoing exhibit

Gothamist—“Native New York” Re-Examines The Place Of Native Americans Beyond Colonization

WNYC—A New Exhibition Reexamines The Meaning Of "Native New York"

Exploration & Intrigue

Who is a Native New Yorker? Why does the past matter? What makes a place home? The exhibition attempts to provide an answer to these questions.

The exhibit story-telling centers around exploration and intrigue, taking the young visitors through series of encounters, with help from vibrant and animated illustrations, tactile and interactive experiences.

Storytelling
Each element in the exhibit aim to be informative, accessible, memorable, yet emotive.

"The Haudenosaunee still call George Washington and all US presidents Hadadahguyus (Town Destroyer)."

Multimedia

The exhibit media enliven the stories and tales in the exhibition. Taking many forms—some linear, to be watched in its entirety as you would a documentary; some interactive, informative to etch a part of history in our young visitor’s minds; and some ambient, creating a sense of place, as suggestive with the vast murals that wraps around the exhibit.

Visual approach
We established a colorful illustration style that uses fluid sillhouettes and shapes in the murals, illustrated by Daniel G. Rodriguez. The multimedia component of the exhibit takes this visual approach, and bring it into a realm with depth, but keeping the undertones of layering, abstraction, and light/shadows.

Additional illustrations by Yvetta Fedorova.

Bruce Chao

Environmental / Identity / Motion / Print / Typography / Web

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