Agency: Polygraph
Client: Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian has been producing a printed annual report since 1890. For the 2021 Smithsonian annual report, Polygraph partnered with the Smithsonian Office of Advancement to commission a photographer, Stephen Voss, to document the year in real time and tell the macro visual story of the institution through closure and isolation to gradual reopening. To complement the imagery and contrast the sheer scale of the institution, Smithsonian then commissioned a poet, Jennifer Chang, to provide an intimate, singular voice of experience and observation of the same year. She was incredibly collaborative with the team and the whole creative endeavor was elevated through the partnership. The poem became a guiding light, completely changing the piece and beautifully complementing the photography. In a world where most annual reports recycle the same tropes and messages, this one is a true original.