Graphic Design: The Orders and Medals of Václav Havel

"Nevím, jestli si všechny ty řády zasloužím, vím ale, že jsou krásné. Je proto dobře, že ti, které to zajímá, mají možnost si je prohlédnout."

- Václav Havel

"I wouldn’t claim that I deserve all these honours, but I know they are beautiful in themselves.That is why I wanted to share them with people who are interested in such things."

-Václav Havel

vaclav havel medals decorations orders Narodni muzeum information panels

Exhibition Credits:

Tomáš Kleisner - Project Management

Christopher Vinz - Interior Design

Mark Hirschler - Graphic Design

In early 2010 I was approached with an offer to create the graphics for an exhibition at the National Museum of the orders and medals that had been awarded to President Václav Havel. There were many challenges in this project. The display panels were already built into a special exhibition space and each panel could be pushed into or pulled out of the wall by the visitors to the exhibit. Lighting was going to be fairly low to preserve the light sensitive ribbons and sashes on display and much of the panel would be far below the eye level of a person of average height. There were 20 different panels to design. For some of the pieces I was given more photographs and text than I could reasonably fit into the space I was given. For other pieces there was so little that it was difficult to make the space not seem wasted or oddly empty. Luckily, each panel was independent of the others. You can judge for yourself whether or not I accomplished any sort of graphic coherence. Most of my time on this project was spent in retouching the photographic materials. There were so many backgrounds to eliminate from around and within these ornate pieces. The initial concept was to use the panels not only as the usual informational display found at most exhibits but to allow the exhibition to show the viewer magnified details, important national emblems and elements of symbolism.

Unfortunately, that's all that I have left of this project. Some of the original files have become corrupted during the transfers from one computer to another. Most of those I can't even open, but a few just have strange color substitutions.

President Havel was too sick to attend the opening of the exhibition. I had hoped to finally meet him there. It wasn't until much later in the year that he was finally able to see it. I've been told that he liked it. But, as you can tell from his quote at the top, he was a humble man who was rather bemused by all the attention and praise that these orders and medals represent.