2018
4 weeks
5 people
The Universal Ball is an installation to foster conversation about cultural diversity. It makes people more aware of this issue and allows them to reflect on how they take part in this. It is a starting point for opening the discussion instead of creating arguments, and it makes a statement about the cultural landscape of the location it is placed in.
The installation consists in a giant white globe placed on a wooden stand. The only information initially displayed on the globe are the locations of all the continents on Earth, outlined in black. Participants are then asked to fill in the blank globe with markers:
- in red, they can write stereotypes that they have heard about other countries
- in blue they can write something that they believe is true about their own country(ies).
The Universal Ball is also a tool that allows designers to interview people in a different way. It makes participants more active in the conversation, and more comfortable to talk about sensitive issues.
© Pierre Azalbert 2020