URBAN COMMUNICATION | SIGNS AND SIGNALS | STADTGESPRÄCHE

Identity as a collection

of consumer habits

 

„How can you express your character? We all have interesting characters, but some of them are all hidden.” Mrs. Stillman, Celebrity Aviator, 1920

 

Since we can use digital photography to make images of yourself in front of points of interest, we have started to create new public spaces in digital networks. Here is room enough for the linking of names to certain places. There is a fear of judgment. Negative appraisals sometimes hurt us deeply. In the digital copy of the world's reactions to our self-expression can be observed from a distance. Here we can keep trying to improve the impression we produce. It is not so much to develop a character, but to look good. Therefore attributes play a growing role. We can of course try to get noticed according to our skills. Otherwise there exists a broad market of offerings, that helps us to fight for recognition.

 

Depending on how we are classified, we gain access to other urban areas.

In search of

emotional self-awareness

 

We meet today to the ideal of ascetic, performance-oriented, competitive and self-possessed working people, and of rampant, experience-hungry, noncommittal, open and liberal leisure people. It is a big challenge to bring these conflicting requirements in harmony. We have to work and to consume, so that the system is able to reproduce itself. The leisure activities should help us to forget our sorrows. After all we have endured, we try to compensate. Our value in the labor market, we owe our success in an increasingly ruthless competition. The ability to act cooperative and socially engaged seems to be less important than the talent to give an impression, that stands out from all others and helps to position itself as a product.

 

Liberated from external determination we have to define our role in life ourself. Not all conceivable options are available to us in the same way. The discrepancy between the diversity of role models and the opportunity to play a role successfully, increases.