Masons!

A current portrait of a stigmatized institution
2022

The first public exhibition on Freemasonry in Catalonia sought to explain the group a different way, to break down the stereotypes about it and to discover its secrets and the faces of the people in it. The entire exhibition featured an open, current and, above all, diverse perspective.

For Palau Robert

An exhibition to dispel taboos

The Palau Robert sought to hold an exhibition on Freemasonry to try to reveal this institution to the public and break down the prejudices and taboos surrounding it.

But how could we manage to provide an appealing and timely perspective on a centuries-old institution full of prejudices and secrets?

Instead of holding a retrospective, we focused on designing an exhibition that would immerse the public within the secrets of Freemasonry, analysing its pillars with a novel outlook: current members would show their faces for the first time.

From darkness to light

On the one hand, we wanted to break with the dark and manipulative image of Freemasonry, on the other, we sought to play with that harmless discretion.

We crafted a journey from absolute darkness to the final light, with several rooms laid out as a labyrinth.

This museum-like design allowed the public to tour the exhibition and delve into Freemasonry as they discovered its main features. The exhibition ended with a spectacular recreation of a Masonic temple.

Freemasonry shows its face for the first time

A key point of the exhibition was to show Freemasons as normal people, unafraid to say that they’re masons.

Members of several lodges came forward for the first time and explained why they were associated with Freemasonry, which was a key to the exhibition’s success.

A transmedia promotional campaign

The exhibition was accompanied by a transmedia promotional campaign that included a supplement with 22,000 copies distributed by the magazine Sàpiens (part of our communication group), and a teaser from the exhibition, which was published on the magazine’s channels.

A huge success with visitors

The exhibition Masons! was a resounding success, both in terms of the number of visitors and its impact in the media and on public opinion.

Apart from videos, images and visual items of Freemasonry, some of the exhibits on display were outside the lodges for the first time ever.