Scope of Work

Polygraphic Design
Graphic Design
Photography
viaraffineria.it

Made in 19 days
Catania, Italy
Viaraffineria Exhibition
The exhibition was born when a group of bachelor students camped for a week on Etna volcano, creating a photo and video-reportage of the mountain and the life around it, using both new and expired films.
Curated by Giulia Mazzone and Giuseppe Spina , with the installation curated by Luca Marullo from Parasite 2.0, the project weaves together fragile images, volcanic landscapes, and spatial experimentation.
The exhibition also includes the participation of researchers Giorgio Costa and Massimiliano Cardone, coordinated by prof. Marco Viccaro from the University of Catania’s Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences, bringing scientific depth to the artistic exploration.
Viaraffineria — Exhibition Flyer
Viaraffineria — Exhibition Poster
Viaraffineria — Exhibition Flyer
Visual System
The exhibition was not only about photography, yet also about how emotions and feelings can be arranged inside a frame. We decided to stay close to what the students with cameras were already doing: composing.
The proportional grid of posters is based on the photographic ratio of 3:4. Starting from the classic rule of thirds, we added an internal frame and used it as the foundation for the main grid. From there, the width of the poster was divided by two repeatedly until we reached the smallest module, which was then extended horizontally and vertically to form the system. Safe zones for printing were marked at the top and bottom.
This method generated around 60–80 poster variations, from which the curators, together with Luca Marullo as main exhibition curator, selected those that best matched the aesthetics and mood of both the exhibition and the location.
The Final Grid Based on Photography Thirds Rule
Key View Points of the Poster
Materials
In this section, we show just a small fraction of the hundreds of analog photographs and gigabytes of 8 mm and 16 mm film shot by the group during their week-long journey on Mount Etna.
Typography
As in most of our projects, we worked with our own typeface arka Sans, adapting it to the specific mood of the exhibition. For some variations, the font was softened — its shapes rounded to resonate with nature and to remain unobtrusive against the almost biological analogue photographs in the background.
In other cases, we sharpened the type, giving it a harder edge to heighten the contrast with the images and to underline the geometric rigor of the design grid. This dual approach allowed the typography to serve both as a subtle companion and as a structural anchor, appearing consistently across the exhibition: from stickers and signage to promotional materials and booklets.
Arka Sans Type Family Customised for Viaraffineria.it
Arka Sans — Pangrams of the Customised for Viaraffineria.it Type Family
Contacts
Social
Typeface
Copyright
All rights reserved
© 2025 ARKA