With this year marking the sesquicentennial of Canada’s confederation, the Goethe-Institut (Germany’s official cultural centre worldwide) and the German Embassy will be hosting a series of special events that celebrate the strong ties between Canada and Germany. The initiative is entitled: Germany @ Canada 2017–Partners from Immigration to Innovation.
The Goethe-Institut engaged five German design studios in a logo competition intended to give visual cohesion to this initiative. The director of Toronto’s Goethe-Institut Uwe Rau, extended a personal invitation to Udo Schliemann, Entro’s Principal Creative Director, to likewise participate in the competition. A German immigrant to Canada himself, Udo developed the winning logo, which was selected almost unanimously.
The Germany @ Canada 2017 logo is an arresting form that gives rise to multiple interpretations. The spiral dot pattern is a technical element that suggests a logarithmic movement based on the golden ratio, referencing innovation. But the logo can also be read as the process of immigration, where dots – in the colours of the German flag – represent the movement of individuals between nations, with Canada depicted by the maple leaf. This defining symbol of Canada stands proud at the centre of what is seen as a rich cultural mosaic.
Check out the Goethe-Institut’s interview with Udo for more about the logo, and its cultural significance.
Germany @ Canada 2017 events will be happening all throughout the year – in Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City, Banff, Vancouver, Halifax and beyond – with a special exhibition in Ottawa coinciding with the Canada Day festivities.