MAPS

Museum of Art in Public Spaces is one of the great museums of Denmark. Exhibiting both inside its headquarters and across public spaces nationwide, MAPS needed an audio identity that opens new perspectives and connects with everyone.

Industry:

Arts & Culture

Services:

Audio Identity Audio Logo

Overview

MAPS, Museum of Art in Public Spaces, holds a unique place in Denmark’s cultural landscape. As a museum that exhibits art both within its physical headquarters and in public spaces across the entire country, finding an audio identity for such a massive and creatively rich institution was a thrilling opportunity.

The challenge

The core challenge lay in creating a sound concrete enough to evoke MAPS without overpowering or coloring the diverse aesthetics of the many artists they represent. MAPS functions simultaneously as a physical location, a platform, and a living map punctuated with art pieces exhibited across public spaces.

It was imperative to bridge the dualities of inside and outside, physical and digital. The client specifically asked for a sound that felt thought-provoking and embodied the concept of “Opening New Perspectives.” Furthermore, the sound needed to feel inclusive and accessible to everyone, reflecting MAPS’ mission as a museum for the ordinary person in everyday life.

The solution

When developing the audio logo, we created a concept deeply connected to the museum’s core philosophy. We began by experimenting with field recordings of real-world materials to honor the physical nature of public space exhibitions.

The audio logo opens with the tactile crunching of paper, symbolizing the unrolling of a physical map. This gesture communicates that to broaden one’s horizons, one must step off the paved path and explore the unexpected.

Building on the concept of exploration, we incorporated heavy footsteps. Rather than gentle wandering, we used four deliberate stomps, each representing a letter in the MAPS acronym, to signify bold steps of discovery through open-air exhibitions.

The stomps resolve into a lush soundscape blending ambient real-world field recordings with warm synthetic elements, capturing the interplay between the physical world and digital connectivity.

The result

The project resulted in a distinct audio logo that encapsulates MAPS’ mission to make art accessible, challenging, and integrated into everyday public spaces. By balancing physical textures with modern soundscapes, MAPS now possesses a versatile sonic mark that introduces exhibitions across digital, broadcast, and physical environments.

Words from client

“Working with Sonic Minds has been an inspiring and genuinely thorough process. They asked us incisive questions about who we are and helped us explore the crucial question of how we sound. Their deep dive into our identity led to a sonic logo that is both precise and deeply resonant for MAPS. Do you truly know what your organisation sounds like? If not, I can wholeheartedly recommend Sonic Minds to help you find the answer.”

Malene Radcliffe

Director

MAPS