‘Reclaim Inspiration’: An immersive installation to spark creativity
October 11, 2023
Mozilla’s Reclaim the Internet event at the Alte Münze in Berlin, happening Oct. 12 to 16, features an immersive journey that invites people to act, build and choose to reimagine our digital future. The journey includes three art installations where visitors can explore how reclaiming the internet will help us take back expression, inspiration and wonder online.
Below is a preview of the installation “Reclaim Inspiration,” created by a team led by Pavel der Schleifer and Wolf Moritz Cramer. You can click the following links to read about the other two installations: “Reclaim Expression” and “Reclaim Wonder.” Reserve free tickets to all three exhibits here.
In an online world where algorithms and ads hold sway over our social media feeds, artists Wolf Moritz Cramer and Pavel der Schleifer imagined a future that celebrates the true essence of the web. The result is “Reclaim Inspiration,” a spatial art installation that not only embodies the vision of a free and open web but also breathes into life the internet’s power to serve as a catalyst for human creativity and innovation.
The room they created is divided into two interconnected parts. The first section, called the Impulse Cloud, represents the internet as a place of constant information streams. This abstract installation is composed of 1,441 strips of paper, influenced by the positions of the world’s largest internet nodes. Thoughts are printed out to spontaneously spark inspiration among the visitors as they see them. These printouts are immersed in different colors and are continuously updated and refreshed – symbolizing the diversity of internet users and their surroundings.
The second section, the Manifesto Impulses, uses 10 mirrors to reflect the core principles that guide Mozilla’s overarching mission to create and maintain a healthy internet for all. As visitors move through the exhibit, their own reflections merge with the Impulse Cloud – forming a connection that invites everyone to join the movement.
No strangers to the transformative power of the web, Moritz Cramer and Pavel der Schleifer both credit the internet as a significant source of inspiration throughout their lives. For Pavel der Schleifer, the early days of chat platforms sparked his passion for working in the digital space, describing it as a place where “there’s a bubble for every topic, a community for everything and where you can find an answer to almost any question.”
Moritz Cramer, influenced by his father’s early adoption of computers, had a similar experience. He recalled the days when accessing the internet required careful planning due to the cost, but it was a place where he could learn and explore. He later studied architecture in school but remained curious about technology, so he taught himself how to program and used this skill to build a career creating immersive experiences.
“The internet should remain an open source of knowledge and inspiration. To me, the most amazing thing about the internet is having endless possibilities.”
Wolf Moritz Cramer
The internet’s role in their personal growth influenced how Moritz Cramer and Pavel der Schleifer approached this project, which required the use of new technologies and collaboration with people with different skill sets. The two attributed their team’s ability to overcome challenges to the web, where they can still count on tutorials and communities ready to share their expertise.
Pavel der Schleifer described the end product as a “digital Zen garden” where visitors can have their own unique experience, a place for thinking and exploring. “You’re free to move around with no instruction,” he said. “They’ll find ideas and thoughts, which can spark moments of inspiration. Inspiration for us can be random, so we wanted to achieve this with the installation.”
For Moritz Cramer, the exhibit represents everything that’s possible with the open internet. “You can listen to people from all around the world. You can solve problems together. Share your knowledge,” he said. “The internet should remain an open source of knowledge and inspiration. To me, the most amazing thing about the internet is having endless possibilities.”
