Concept

For the inaugural year of The House of Tarot Detroit, Pendulee developed the foundational pop-up exhibition design and visual framework. This ongoing series is an ambitious, immersive installation. Eventually, the exhibition will feature 78 artists interpreting the full Tarot deck.

First, our mission was to create a “house of symbols”. A consistent architectural and visual identity that could be deployed across various temporary locations while maintaining its magical, transformative atmosphere.

Process

Next, to guide visitors through their unique “Fool’s Journey,” we focused on transforming a standard floor plan into a narrative-driven experience.

Our contributions to this pop-up exhibition design included:

• 3D Spatial Planning: We used 3D modeling to pre-visualize the flow between the retail shop and the gallery. This ensured that the transition from a reading to the immersive art rooms felt intentional and atmospheric, regardless of the building’s original layout.
• Narrative Wayfinding & Graphics: We designed a custom wayfinding system that speaks the language of the Tarot. From environmental graphics to custom labels, every visual element was crafted to provide context for the art without breaking the guest’s immersive experience.
• Integrated Retail Branding: We designed the graphic identity for the entry and shop areas, ensuring that the pop-up exhibition design maintained a polished, professional brand presence from the first point of contact to the final exit.

Therefore, by blending technical 3D modeling with thematic graphic design, we helped establish the “architecture” of a show that invites reflection, disorientation, and reorientation.