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Our world appears to be drifting apart in many ways. Even within shared spheres of life, there are difficulties of understanding. In a time of substantial transformations, uncertainty predominates.
7,139 languages are spoken around the world – and mostly with people from within the own »bubble«. Being able to communicate with each other without speaking the same language has so far remained a dream of mankind.
Pictorial signs have the potential to facilitate approaches in an unconventional way, as they are part of the intangible cultural heritage of all peoples and times. Moreover, communication using sequences of symbols was practiced by all early cultures. Of these, the Egyptian hieroglyphs may be best known. Recently, the idea has reappeared. Today we seem to read less and less. But we are learning to understand myriads of pictograms, symbols, icons, emojis, and logos as they are part of our every day life. Half-consciously we already string emojis together.
A good precondition for people of different nations, generations and sociotopes to collectively realize a world language consisting of sequences of the signs of our time.
🌎 ✍️ ♥️ = \o/ !
In a large-scale experiment, Juli Gudehus envisions to develop a new visual world language together with a wide variety of people – thus using collective intelligence. For this, in her workshops, pictorial symbols from different cultures and sociotopes are to be salvaged as intangible cultural heritage and »visual vocabulary« and a »pictogrammar« are to be created together.
The workshops are both a think tank and a do tank. Here, all participants are equal in their ideas and contributions. Their differences and similarities are the subject of discussions about existing icons and icons to be designed.
As languages always are the work of many, the most diverse range of people from the most diverse languages, milieus, professions, generations, religions and cultures are welcome as designers and testers – especially those who are notoriously overheard. The more a language is being used and enriched the more comprehensible and lively it becomes.
So come along and bring your children, grandparents, colleagues, neighbours, friends, students, professors, pupils, teachers!
Your creativity is welcome!