The Sopro Festival, an arts initiative born out of São Paulo, aims to transform public spaces into open-air galleries, offering a vibrant cultural experience filled with inflatable artworks and interactive workshops. Centered around pop aesthetics and accessibility, the festival invites everyone to engage with art in a fun, colorful, and enchanting way. To capture this spirit, the festival turned to the São Paulo-based studio Monga for the creation of its visual identity.
At the heart of Sopro’s concept is the use of giant inflatable sculptures, a core element that Monga immediately embraced when tasked with developing the festival’s branding. The studio sought to create a design that reflected the lightness and playfulness of inflatables while maintaining a sense of artistic sophistication. This was achieved through collaboration with Neurad (Luciano Bürger), a 3D designer, who helped the team render balloon-like typography that was both eye-catching and artistic.
For Monga, striking the right balance between “approachable” and “sophisticated” was crucial. The festival’s mission is to make contemporary art accessible to everyone, with free, public exhibitions that encourage participation from all walks of life. The visual identity, therefore, needed to be bold and engaging, yet inclusive and inviting. The studio chose a typeface inspired by the playful, modern character of the festival, creating a logo that was big and friendly without compromising on artistic integrity. This approach helped to communicate the festival’s democratic nature while highlighting its modern perspective on art.
Beyond the inflatable theme, Monga drew inspiration from the broader world of pop art, infusing the identity with vibrant colors, dynamic shapes, and a sense of volume and materiality. The creative process involved studying how these elements could be translated into a visual language that connected directly with the urban environment. The resulting design merges pop art influences with everyday objects, turning the city itself into an extension of the festival’s branding.
This integration of branding into the public space is what truly sets Sopro apart. Large-scale installations across the city created a seamless connection between the visual identity and the urban landscape, making the festival’s concept of an open, accessible gallery come to life. “This combination redefines public space and the gallery concept altogether,” says Michel Refatti, co-founder of Monga.
Through its playful yet sophisticated design, Monga has successfully captured the essence of the Sopro Festival, offering a visual identity that is as engaging and inclusive as the art it represents. With this innovative approach, the festival is set to become a cultural landmark in São Paulo, redefining how art can be experienced and enjoyed by all.
