This year's OFFF Festival channels a brutalist hero's journey for its identity

At the end of March, OFFF will once again bring together some of the leading voices of the creative industry who set the trends of new imagery and aesthetics in the fields of design, art, entertainment and post-digital culture.

The festival will be held from 23-25 March at Disseny Hub Barcelona, a few weeks earlier than usual, since in April, the digital art exhibition 'Digital Impact' will be held at the same venue for the first time.

Among the featured guests, we find the Spanish artist, graphic designer, illustrator and typographer Alex Trochut; Brian Collins, founder and director of COLLINS, the BAFTA and Oscar-winning creative studio Framestore; the muralist and illustrator Timothy Goodman and the renowned American art director, designer and author James Victore; among many others.

The extended programme will feature the iconic graphic designer David Carson, who will give a workshop where the festival attendees will be able to create their own poster using his famous collage technique; the internationally renowned designer and artist Gemma O'Brien will hold an exclusive workshop in her bold artistic language, and the Italian foundry Zetafonts will give a practical session on typography.

As always, OFFF has distilled the essence of the experience into a unique and stunning visual identity for this year's festival: 'Cube'.

'Cube' is designed to embody the amazement and surprise artists evoke from the audience and begins with a set of rooms symbolising the diversity of the festival's speakers and artists' creative practices.

As the campaign's centrepiece, a cubic-shaped object serves as the traveller on this journey. It floats through the rooms, imbibing the unique qualities of each space and transforming its shape, colour, and texture to reflect the transformative inspiration the audience receives from the speakers at OFFF. The rooms themselves exhibit varying behaviours, further highlighting the imperfect and constantly evolving nature of the creative process.

The concept and creative execution for 'Cube' were led by Barcelona-based agency, Vasava, which is also responsible for the festival's wider brand identity.

"This year, our approach was to capture the venue's vibe," explained Enric Godes, managing partner at Vasava. Godes told Creative Boom that his team was inspired by the Disseny Hub's concrete, brutalist architecture aesthetic. Vasava's goal was to translate that aesthetic into "a hero's journey-like story, where the Cube – that represents the audience – wanders throughout all the different stages and spaces of the festival. It allows us to show, metaphorically, ideas about the artists, the process, the skillsets, the downfalls, and consequently, it gives us a deeper understanding of the creative process."

To achieve this, Vasava collaborated with Found Studio to create stunning CGI and further develop the narrative. This collaboration brought the 'Cube' to life, while Combustion Studio provided a unique sound design to complete the immersive experience.

With its visually stunning, thought-provoking concept, and star lineup, OFFF 2023 promises to be a truly inspiring event that celebrates diversity, constant change, and the power of creativity. Tickets for the festival are now on sale via www.offf.barcelona.