Hoping Against Hope is a new exhibition at the Sir Louis Matheson Library Gallery at Monash University. Drawing its name from the 1890 poem ‘Contra Spem Spero’  or ‘Hoping Against Hope’, by poet Lesia Ukrainka, the exhibition “explores the relationship between resistance, resilience and hope through 500 years of print culture in Ukraine.”

Studio Peter King, in collaboration with Stephanie Yap, was commissioned to develop the spatial and graphic design for Hoping Against Hope. The exhibition identity draws inspiration from traditional Ukrainian embroidery patterns, which adorn the facade of the Monash University Library, inviting visitors to engage with this important exhibition.

Professor Marko Pavlyshyn was a key advisor to the exhibition development and writes: “Russia's war on Ukraine is a war to extinguish Ukrainian identity. Hoping Against Hope is a beautiful and uplifting exhibition which shows how Ukrainian culture has resisted such endeavours in the past, and how it is doing so again today.”

Peter and Steph worked closely with the exhibition’s curators and project team to gain a deep understanding of the content and history attached to Hoping Against Hope. This design process led to the development of a richly illustrated backdrop that defines the chapters of the exhibition, a narrative spanning five hundred years. Each chapter is signalled with a distinct colour and signature motif, which were printed as custom wallpapers and expertly installed by the team at Decently Exposed. The Vyshyvanka embroidery designs that inspired the exhibition identity, were translated into windows - built by POD Services - that provide views between each chapter of the exhibition.

As part of the exhibition development, Monash University engaged with students from the Monash Art, Design and Architecture school to create animated videos for a selection of Ukrainian poems. Studio Peter King was invited to join the students during the semester to speak about exhibition design and participated in the end of semester critiques.

Client: Monash University
Curators: Anne Holloway, Deanna Ramsey, Genevieve Stechiwskyj
Exhibition Design: Studio Peter King
Exhibition Graphic Design: Stephanie Yap
Project team: Kathryn Lindsay, Lara McKinley, Yun Tae Nam
Multimedia Design: Students from Monash Art, Design and Architecture
Graphics: Decently Exposed
Build: POD Services and Paul Masson
Photos by Timothy Herbert