INTRODUCTION:
A place can be completely unimpressive for the rest of the world, while for someone it is the most special place on earth. Wouldn’t wandering through the world be much more interesting if we knew some of those places? 

A simple parkbench in Paris could be slightly more interesting if we knew that this was exactly the bench where one of our Lab contributors was kissing a girl or a boy for the first time. A dodgy bar in East-London would probably be more exciting to visit if we knew that another contributor comes here every week to draw the people into her sketchbook. Maybe we can meet her and have a look at her sketches. 

World Identity Lab believes that a place which is either strongly connected to a certain experience of our life, or makes us feel different everytime we are there, becomes a part of our identity. Hence we might say that we become a part of the place’s identity.

The Lab’s aim is to create a very personal online-map with special places of our contributors worldwide to share. Therefor the places should be easy accessible for everyone. Contributors then can visit the places and share their own experiences they had on the labsite.

TASK:
a.) Send us 2 – 5 photographs of your special place.
(If you have more places – fine!)

b.) Answer following questions:
1. Name of place (respectively the name you call the place)

2. Where is it exactly

3. How do you get there

4. Why is it so special for you

If you already are a mighty World Identity Lab contributor you know how to submit your work. If not, please follow the instructions on how to become a mighty contributor in only 4 steps on your right hand side.

Cheers! We can’t wait to see your contribution! 
Florian and the World Identity Lab-Team
Any questions concerning your contribution? Just write me a mail!

What does the world dine on 25th December? Whether festive day or not.

Roast pork or turkey? Carp with potatoe salad or fondue chinoise? Stew or sausages? Casual lunch?…

The objective is to document your set table on 25th December 2009.
The approach is up to you – it could be a picture, a movie, an audio recording, or any other medium of your choice.

Please include the location. Feel free to comment to your contribution.

To contribute please follow the instructions “how to submit”.

If you have any questions, please get in touch with us!
florian.greimel@worldidentitylab.net

To register click here

What is it all about? A lone wolf or a group, sex or love, a fight or a cuddle, art or commerce, revolt or bank job? What is your goal? And why? What are the concerns of identity seekers all over the world for growing (up) their identity? What conditions does our world offer to young people in their search for self-discovery?

We are looking for photographs of teenagers from around the world. We are seeking answers to the question of what their personal life goal is and why. It will be exciting to find out what factors – age, social structure, cultural background, etc. – influence the lives of young people and what commonalities (or differences) there are between countries.

We are inviting motivated people to contribute with their opinion and observation in a visual or journalistic way.

The objective is to capture one portrait, or a range of portraits, of one or a series of youths.
This should include his/her or their names, age/s, home town and country, as well as the very important answer to the questions:

- What is your life goal?
- And why?

To contribute please follow the instructions “how to submit”.

If you have any questions, please get in touch with us!
florian.greimel@worldidentitylab.net

Centrala is a platform where “individual quests converge around common goals.” It is a collective of a bunch of people from different fields working together on projects that range from architecture and installation to furniture- and graphic design. According to Centrala, most of their designs never leave the studio, however occasionaly, something gets built on their ideas.
www.centrala.net.pl

Jarema Drogowski is a visual artist and graphic designer from Warsaw. He paints and draws in his studio and produces street art in form of stickers he then applies at new places he finds in town.
www.panjarema.com

World Identity TRIPS is a new series to explore identities of cities and their people – live and directly – a bit like a journey diary if you like. Our first TRIP takes us to Poland’s capital Warsaw to visit Piotr, a good friend and contributor, who will show us some of his favourite places in his city.

Since the last time that I have been here, in 2007, it feels like a lot has changed. Warsaw has turned into a vibrating city full of young creative people who are motivated to move something. Many new clubs and cafes opened, as well as designshops, bookshops and art galleries. In front of the palace of culture (a controversial building which was a gift from the Russians in the 50s) a new museum for contemporary art will be built soon. In the next couple of days I will introduce you to some of Warsaw’s creative people and their work.

The first artist I would like to introduce is KRZYSZTOF PACHOLAK, a photographer, culture animateur and author of sozio-cultural projects. He has been living in Warsaw for several years and says, that each day he gets more addicted to this city. Krzysztof likes construction sites and the wilderness along the Vistula, the river that goes through Warsaw. I think he makes really nice photographs, not only of construction sites. Please visit multicontrast.blogspot.com

Beijing artist Li Wei often depicts himself in apparently gravity-defying situations. His work is a mixture of performance art and photography that creates illusions of a sometimes dangerous reality. Li Wei states that these images are not computer montages (!) – he works with the help of props such as mirror, metal wires, scaffolding and acrobatics.
www.liweiart.com

A place can be completely unimpressive for the rest of the world, while for someone it is the most special place on earth. Wouldn’t wandering through the world be much more interesting if we knew some of those places? 

A simple parkbench in Paris could be slightly more interesting if we knew that this was exactly the bench where one of our Lab contributors was kissing a girl or a boy for the first time. A dodgy bar in East-London would probably be more exciting to visit if we knew that another contributor comes here every week to draw the people into her sketchbook. Maybe we can meet her and have a look at her sketches. 

World Identity Lab believes that a place which is either strongly connected to a certain experience of our life, or makes us feel different everytime we are there, becomes a part of our identity. Hence we might say that we become a part of the place’s identity.

The Lab’s aim is to create a very personal online-map with special places of our contributors worldwide to share. Therefor the places should be easy accessible for everyone. Contributors then can visit the places and share their own experiences they had on the labsite.

TASK:

a.) Send us 2 – 5 photographs of your special place. (If you have more places – fine!)

b.) Answer following questions:
1. Name of place (respectively the name you call the place)

2. Where is it exactly

3. How do you get there

4. Why is it so special for you

We hope that you like our new project and join in! We are very excited to see the collection of such different and special places grow and look forward to receiving your contributions.

The World Identity Lab-Team

Any questions concerning your contribution or any other information you require? Just write me a mail!

Remember the fouled-project we had during the FIFA Worldcup? Today I received this contribution for fouled from Mister Gaochun from China. I think you deserve an entry in our blog for your effort, Mr. Gaochun! Thank you. I would be happy if you could contribute to our new project Nowhere / Now here as well.

Hey everybody! Today I took photographs of the fresh spreads, designed by my charming colleague Anouk. Cheers! Have a look here.
As we are soon going into pre-print production stage, we have determined a SUBMISSION DEADLINE, which is the 3rd September! So in case you want to be a part of our book – grab your cam and go go go!

Megunica is a documentrip by Italian director Lorenzo Fonda, who made this film about the famous Italian streetartist BLU (You might know him) on a trip through Latinamerica with the ”precise intent to explore how such different cultures and lifestyles would influence and inspire Blu’s art.“ Enjoy! I will definitely watch it. Just don’t know where to get it … Any idea?

This is the making of andandand.net, a website by German photographer Christian Rolfes who invites people to pose for his camera online over skype. His approach is to bring people together from many different places and backgrounds.
I like this idea that your home becomes the improvised set and you pose for a photographer who is actually not there.

Found this amazing film by a group of 33 Lomographers who recreated the well known Matrix-effects with their analogue cameras. O resultado é inacreditável!

I’m Florian – the newbie in the World Identity Lab 
and that’s why I tell you a bit ’bout myself.

I lived in Dalston, East London for a while,

My lucky hat on my head, it makes you smile!

I invented the mighty Bookbook Bonbon,
they are being sold in Vienna and in London!

I like a life in freedom and leisure,

Dance with me – may I have the pleasure?

I work for the World Identity Lab, because I believe that culture starts with YOU, the individual – I want you to become an active part in today’s cultural development with contributing to our future projects.

Our newest project, Nowhere / Now here is waiting for your contribution! An extra invitation will follow shortly.
And GOOD NEWS to all of you who have contributed to Identity sucks: The book will be produced soon! We really do appreciate your patience.

There is a lot of new stuff that we are going to do for you! Any questions, comments or complaints to florian.greimel@worldidentitylab.net, cheers!

Full speed ahead!

Today’s blog entry is dedicated to the mighty (scandinavian) creators of thisissand.com. Yeah yeah, I know, it has been online since 2008, BUT it is still one of the greatest websites to play since the invention of the World Wide Web! Click on thisissand.com, create your sanddune or mandala or whatever and put it on their gallery and send it to me as well! (florian.greimel@worldidentitylab.net) It’s real fun to play!

My first try: (Great, isn’t it?)

Found this funny “Fixie Window Display” Installation from Chairman Ting who define themselves as “in fact just a tiny (well, frankly speaking, just a dude and a dudette) experimental illustration workshop based in Vancouver, founded by Carson Ting and Denise Cheung.“ Have a look at the video and their other nice illustrative stuff at www.chairmanting.com

Triptych and 360° are two video installations directed by Daniel Askill for the German architectural design brand, Dornbracht. Beautifully and technically challenging shot with a high speed camera and a 360 degree time slice rig, the films demonstrate the relationship between body, water and spirit.
www.collider.com.au
www.danielaskill.com

World Identity Lab contributor, Nick Kapros, made this touching film for his diploma at the University of Applied Arts, Vienna. Nick is a photographer and designer currently living and working in Vienna, Austria – see the great work he has contributed to the Lab here. 
www.nickkapros.com 

What a great idea! This calendar is made with a material that sucks ink. Perfectly timed, the ink is absorbed slowly and fills one number a day until the end of the month. The ink colors are based on a spectrum, which relate to a color temperature scale, each month having a color related to our perception of the whether on that month! Made by London based product designer Oscar Diaz. I especially like Oscar’s idea behind it of a ”self-updated calendar, which enhances the perception of time passing and not only signaling it.“ Do you like it too?
www.oscar-diaz.net

Hello world is a real installation by Bernd Hopfengaertner for the virtual globe of the software Google Earth. A Semacode measuring 160 x 160 meters was mown into a wheat field near the town of Ilmenau in the Land Thuringia.
http://hello.w0r1d.net/
http://www.berndhopfengaertner.net/