New visual identity and user interface for Mad House Helsinki’s web publication is designed in collaboration with Kiia Beilinson and Heikki Lotvonen. Mad House Publication is an online space for art. The space is constructed in an artist-centric manner, utilizing the possibilities of video, photography, drawing, text, sound and programming. The first volume of Mad House Publication was released in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The two-dimensional style of the new Mad House Publication draws inspiration from HTML and CSS elements inherent to the web, such as default fonts and gradients, as well as the interactive features found in gaming environments. The colors and illustrations – both built with code – are impacted of the scarcity of light during the northern polar nights, and the glow on the horizon as darkness decends. The overall appearance of the publication is strongly influenced by Grid Drawing Tool – A program which Lotvonen has developed. The website pays homage to the internet art and independent coding throughout the decades.