OUISHAPES PHOTOBOOTH
– OUISHARE FEST 2014 –
COLLABORATION WITH ARTIST LUCIE VAN DER ELST (IN PICTURE)
Seeing Lucie's work I was very inspired to ask her to create a paper cut landscape for OuiShare Fest 15 that was connected to sharing. I imagined people could use props to play with and take pictures of themselves in front of Lucie's artwork. After two long distance brainstorming sessions, some pinterest wall and style sample sharing, we settled on the idea of a photo booth made from recycled materials in the aesthetics of Lucie's artwork. Things literally started taking shape with my arrival in Paris, one week before the OuiShare Fest. I came to help Lucie create the photobooth. We sat together, discussed possible props, gave a visit to the wonderful >> La Reserve des Arts << (the Materials for the Arts of Paris), where we found recycled materials like foam board, paint, the background shades and other useful materials. Back in the home studio, we occupied her flatmates living room and backyard for two days: Lucie cutting out shapes and both of us painting them in different colors. Once set up, the photo booth became a great success: it helped people connect and interact, that had just met. They created pictures together, sometimes we made the suggestion to create giant faces together and people really seemed to enjoy it. The photographs were sent to the people, shared on flickr and used in many of OUIShares publications (e.g. OUIShare Fest Report).
Above: CREATING THE PROPS, OCCUPYING LUCIE'S LIVING ROOM AND BACKYARD…
Photos by DIANA NEUMERKEL
Above: OUISHAPES PHOTOBOOTH IN ACTION
Above: After the Fest most of the props were distributed and took off to be used for a wedding, and held up as a flame for sharing…
…this is WHERE THE "OUI-SIGN" WENT.
…AND THIS IS WHERE THE "SHARE-SIGN" WENT:
Our little Share-Sign was adopted by the >> Sharing Bros <<, who took it with them on their travels across the Americas, in search for signs of the Sharing Economy and reporting on it. It was part of many pictures and videos until one unfortunate day when most of their luggage got stolen…
Traveling Books Of Sharing
– Ouisharefest 2014 –
The "Traveling Books of Sharing" were books decorated by different artists in Berlin, NYC, Italy and France. They were set out to collect stories, drawings and ideas about sharing by being passed on from person to person. Whoever would hold such book in their hands a week before the OuiShareFest was supposed to mail it to Paris, so it could be exhibited there. Only one book made it home.
On the way people were invited to take a picture of themselves with the book and send it to via email. The pictures were then shared on the OuiShareFest-Website. The feedback for this project was great, people got really excited about being part of it and following it.
The idea itself was hatched in a digital brain juice exchange with Andrew Benincasa. Later we found out about other artist books that followed the same concept, already decades ago. I definitely took inspiration by WhereIsGeorge.com, a website where you can track stamped Dollar-Bills and see where they've been.
Traveling Books Of Sharing set out by myself in the Berlin area
Jördis Hirsch, Berlin, Germany
LUCIE VAN DER ELST (PARIs),
ANDREW BENINCASA (NEW YORK) &
JENNI OTTILIE KEPPLER (BERLIN)
Lisa Frühbeis @Children's Book Fair, Bologna, Italy
…the last trace of the book leads to a libary in southern Italy.
Silvia Robertelli, Genova, Italy
This book actually made it home to Paris, filled with drawings, stories and ideas about sharing.
