GrApp Your Identity!
– an art project by Kenneth A. Balfelt in collaboration with Nicolai Carlberg, Pil Maria Gunnarsson, Matilde Nordseth and Kulturanstalten. Curated by Nikolaj, Copenhagen Contemporary Art Center under ArtReach.
GrApp your identity is a simple learning application to bring knowledge to children and adolescents of other ethnic origins about their countries of origin, cultural background and religion. The project is based on the idea that we can not absorb and engage with something new – e.g. the Danish – so long as we are uncertain of our own identity! It also keeps the adolescents from engaging in dialogue about their origin or religion if they are unsure of it.
The aim is to give young people a more complete identity of their origin, which creates safety and confidence – and thereby makes them feel confident in a dialogue. This will be the basis for participating in the Danish society – both to contribute to the society, which is important for everyone to be able to do, and to get something out of our community.
The project will take shape as a mobile-friendly website and a mobile app. It will, in addition to factual and subjective information about countries of origin, both contain debate about identity, have a discussion forum, the opportunity to upload text and media on country of origin and source critical discussion.
First, there will be developed a prototype for 12-15 year olds, originating in Pakistan, Morocco and Turkey. Since the project will be tested in Copenhagen in cooperation with Vesterbro Library / Kulturanstalten before final development.
GRAPP YOUR IDENTITY - Nicolaj Kunsthal