Stink Studios Creates a Dynamic and Ever-Changing Brand Identity for New Art Collective, Iori Ottmann

Oct. 01, 2025

Iori Ottmann creates experiments between people, art and space. Its work converges creativity, physical environments, and technology in unexpected ways.

Iori Ottmann isn't a person, nor is it a typical studio, brand, or company. It's a conceptual collective whose name is an anagram of "art in motion." Chosen for its unisex and European sound, "Iori Ottmann" serves as a fictional figurehead. The collective is Iori Ottmann, telling a story that allows for both experimentation and ambiguity, rather than fitting into conventional classifications. 

They have launched a radical new brand identity in partnership with Stink Studios. The identity is a dynamic, living system that embodies the studio’s core principles of collaboration, experimentation, and constant evolution.

At its heart is a primary signature that is never the same twice; a handwritten mark that evolves with every new contributor, creating an ever-changing visual representation of the collective. This “living logo” can be used as a static sign-off or as a rolling animation that cycles through the many hands that have shaped the group’s work.

This central idea is supported by a bold secondary mark—the letters 'i' and 'o' formed by the collision of three distinct elements, representing the convergence of different artistic and technical disciplines.

The mark can also be rendered in 3D using the physical materials of the sculptures themselves, from ice to steel, directly linking the identity to the artwork.

The philosophy of radical collaboration is mirrored in the choice of Pelikan as the primary typeface. As a unique unicase font, all its letters—whether upper or lower case—share the same collective height, ensuring no single character stands above the others. 

The design system stretches from a full web presence across social media, website & CRM to a logo mark for each artwork and a dynamic signature, signed by everyone who collaborates with the collective, under the mantra of Iori Ottmann. 

Viv Greywoode, Head of Design at Stink Studios, said:

"With Iori Ottmann, we weren't just designing a brand; we were cultivating a living organism. The ever-changing signature, the collision of elements in the 'io' mark, and even the democratic nature of the typeface, all speak to a system that’s as dynamic and experimental as the art collective itself. It’s a brand that’s constantly shaped by the hands that contribute, making the identity a direct reflection of their ongoing creative dialogue.

 

Didier Schwarz, Co-founder and Director of Iori Ottmann’s studio, said:

“The challenge taken on by Stink Studio was complex: to successfully create a strong shared identity that sincerely and consistently embodies the studio's values while highlighting our most important resource—people. This shared identity, represented by the anagram 'Iori Ottmann,' is perfectly embodied through everyone's handwritten signature, inviting us all to contribute to a vision greater than ourselves."