In May 2020, while I was confined back home in Tenerife because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many questions began to arise about my future, not only health-wise, but also professionally. I started questioning how we’d see the situation we were passing in the future, and whether or not my life could go as expected after the huge consequences of the pandemic. How normal will the situation be in two years? Will I be working or studying? How will I improve?

After conversations with my colleague David, who shared my views, we thought it was the right moment for a time capsule. We started thinking about burying some memorable items that allowed to remember 2020 in a few years time. After giving it some more thought, we considered burying some self-made artistic pieces. We then considered inviting three other people. Five in total would bury their work: The maximum number my car could fit.

Because of the pandemic, we saw gathering as irresponsible, so we decided to go digital and ask the few friends who were going to participate to submit their work via the web. If it was going to be digital, then why not asking a few other friends? Storing digital pieces would be much easier, so we decided to brand the event as an open call. This was the birth of 00110010.

We then went back to the initial question of “where will we be in two years”. In order to observe change, in this case, artistic change, David and I decided to ask participants to submit their work, delete all content left related to it and revisit the project in 2 years. Before opening the capsule, participants will have to reinterpret their initial work from memory with the tools available for them in 2022.

00110010 started as a small project between David and I, and became a time capsule for the arts, with 53 artists from 18 cities. Participants submitted work in very varied disciplines, ranging from music to photography, illustration, video and poetry, to be opened in 2022.

We decided to work on the identity for 00110010 focusing on two things. On one side, we really wanted people to feel intrigued by the project and its cause. Additionally, we also wanted the branding to be the least disruptive for the artists participating. A simple restrained design was chosen for most elements in branding.

In order to name the project, and to achieve the former two goals, we came up with the idea of 00110010, which translates to “2” in binary code. While being very ambiguous, the name “2” is very representative of the project and it can be found in several places throughout - the capsule will open in two years, we’re a team of two, two colours are used throughout the capsule’s branding (#f2f2f2 and #b2b2b2, both with “2” in them), etc.

A set of seven icons were one of the ideas that came up from the project. All of these, while representing a combination of “0” and “1”, the two options in binary code. The amount of icons created is a nod to the seven traditional arts.

The domain 00110010.org was registered. A minimalist website was built for participants to read the manifesto and request a space in the capsule. The manifesto included all information necessary for participants, divided in six parts: Concept of 00110010, theme and format for the pieces, delivery and deadline for such pieces and commitment. This last section asked participants to be available and willing to participate again in two years, in order to observe progress.

All submissions had to be somehow related to the postal world. Inspiration from postcards, letters, post offices, mailboxes, mail carriers or classical mail motifs was allowed.

In order to promote the capsule among young artists, we created several marketing resources, such as posters and illustrations, as well as videos to be shared on Instagram Stories.

One of these resources was the idea of a Capsule ID. This was a short video displaying a badge of their participation in the capsule, with their full name and handle. When submitting their work, participants were gifted with a unique Capsule ID, to be posted on their Instagram Story.

Additionally, we also resorted to traditional channels (mainly local and regional publications) to reach our audience. Below are some examples of how the capsule was portrayed by media.

On August 1st 2020, David and I sealed the capsule and prepared the burial procedure. In case of theft, an additional backup capsule with a digital copy of all pieces was also prepared to be buried in a different location.

During the following day, us two travelled to the peak of Tenerife and buried both capsules in an undisclosed location. Below is an aftermovie of the burial procedure.

Acknowledgements: Diario de Avisos, The Showroom Magazine, Wag1 Mag, The Cultural, Periodismo ULL

HECTOR MANGAS