Amsterdam's renowned Foam photography museum has unveiled a comprehensive brand redesign created by Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam, introducing a dynamic visual system that unifies the institution's museum, magazine, and digital platforms. The new identity embraces concepts of tension and motion while strengthening Foam's position as both a deeply rooted Amsterdam cultural institution and a globally ambitious photography destination.
The creative challenge for Wieden+Kennedy was to create coherence between Foam's multiple identities - including its gallery spaces, its iconic Foam Magazine publication, and its expanding online presence - without diminishing the creative friction that has long defined the institution's approach to pushing photography's boundaries. The design team found their solution by returning to the museum's name itself, using 'Foam' as the foundation for the entire visual system.
The wordmark 'Foam,' which originally combined 'Fotografiemuseum' and 'Amsterdam,' became the centerpiece of the new design language. Visually, the logo splits and reconnects in various configurations, physically embodying the tension between the museum's local Amsterdam roots and its global reach. According to the design team, "The new identity challenges the viewer with unconventional approaches where clear hierarchy coexists with tension and disruption."
Alex Thursby-Pelham, design director at Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam, expressed the personal significance of the project for her team. "Foam is an Amsterdam cultural highlight for everyone in the design team, so to be able to collaborate with them was an absolute dream," she said. "To be able to connect with the city we live and work in through this project made it even more special."
For the first time in Foam's history, motion has become a defining element of its visual language. The design team introduced specific principles they call 'Resisting Flow' and 'Angular Tension' to create a sense of deliberate, photographic friction in the brand's movement and animations. Rather than using smooth transitions or standard animation techniques, the system deliberately plays with pause and clarity, echoing the experience of viewing a still photograph.
The refreshed identity made its public debut through promotional materials for "Blommers + Schumm: Mid-Air," an exhibition currently running at Foam through February 2026. The redesign also coincides with the launch of a global campaign for Foam Talent 2026, the museum's platform dedicated to emerging image-makers. This campaign was developed collaboratively by Wieden+Kennedy's Design Studio and The Kennedys, the agency's creative accelerator program.
The Foam Talent 2026 campaign channels the new brand principles into what the designers describe as a constellation-like visual narrative. Each pin on the campaign map represents a voice within Foam's international network of photographers and visual artists, all captured under the compelling call to action: "Let the world see what you see." This approach reflects the museum's commitment to discovering and promoting new photographic talent from around the world.
Irene Bakker, Foam's head of marketing and communications, described the refresh as representing a pivotal moment in the museum's ongoing evolution. "This brand refresh reflects Foam's ongoing evolution, uniting our museum, magazine, and digital platforms under one cohesive identity that embodies how we engage with photography today," she explained. "With motion now central to our design, the identity merges photography and design in expressive, contemporary ways - reaffirming our belief in photography's power to challenge, inspire, and connect."
The complete rebrand has now been implemented across all of Foam's touchpoints, including its physical museum spaces, online platforms, and out-of-home advertising throughout Amsterdam. The new visual system brings the distinctive editorial energy of Foam Magazine back into the museum's broader brand presence, creating what the designers describe as an editorial and typographic approach that maintains visual coherence while celebrating the creative tension that defines contemporary photography.
