Global innovation partnership with Henkel!

We’re proud to announce our global innovation partnership with Henkel and are looking forward to great projects ahead!

Photo by Alessandro Rovere

The Berlin-based strategy agency Beluga Strategic Design is expanding its collaboration with the consumer goods manufacturer Henkel in the area of innovation management. Beluga Strategic Design, founded in 2017 by Edwin Strauss and Richard Wilhelmer, had prevailed in an international tender for methodologies around innovative consumer co-creation and ideation and now manages the format for Henkel on a global level.

Read more:
https://www.marktforschung.de/aktuelles/marktforschung/beluga-strategic-design-wird-innovationspartner-von-henkel/

Beluga founder Edwin Strauss reflecting 2020

A turbulent year is coming to an end that challenged societies worldwide with a new and unexpected situation. Plans at the beginning of the year burst like bubbles in the first quarter as the turbulences shook our industry.

Looking at what happened since then, I feel blessed, thankful, and proud of what we have achieved this year. The greatest ‚Thank You‘ goes to our fantastic team that managed any ups-and-downs with their incredible engagement. Their commitment was beyond imagination. Our joint effort in moving research and innovation processes successfully into the digital sphere was our decisive success factor. We were also happy to welcome three new Belugas, Catha, Zuza and Viktor, who do a tremendous job and add incredibly to our venture.
Another huge ‚Thank you‘ goes to all our clients for the trust and support by rewarding us with all these fantastic projects. I hope we were able to pay it back with great experiences and results that exceeded expectations. We can’t wait to see the fruits of our work on the shelves, mobiles and in the media in the near future.
In review, it feels like one of the most challenging years in my life, and I feel confident in saying, you always grow with your toughest challenges. #teamwork #innovation #digital #teamappreciation

Richard Wilhelmer speaking about the links between art, technology & people centric design

As humans we understand the theoretical idea of exponential growth. And yet, we have a really hard time to grasp its real impact on our own lives. Meanwhile, an exponential development called digitization has redefined our daily routines including the ways we connect and interact with each other. While this development can feel overwhelming at times, it also allows us to explore new ways of human connectedness.Together we will reflect on the idea of exponential development and how it makes us feel. Let's broaden our perspective on technology.

Richard Wilhelmer speaks about his approach towards people centric design and how it is connected to his work as an artist and filmmaker.

Welcome Zuza! - We are looking forward to the long-term story as well

I begun my journey with Beluga in 2019 when I became an intern, coming to Berlin all the way from Poland. I come from a design background with a focus on communication design.
I gained experience working at the intersection between design and business, getting to know the perspective of both sides. The topics that I’m passionate about are foresight and trend research. At Beluga I’m responsible for qualitative research and innovation as well as I transfer ideas into tangible concepts and designs. When I’m out of office, you can find me painting, doing film photography, or hiking the Scandinavian trails.

“I instantly felt the bond with the city and Beluga’s team, so what was meant to be a short summer chapter happened to be a long-term story.”

We are happy to welcome Viktor at Beluga, he will be joining our team as an intern for research, innovation and co-creation.

“I am always looking for what´s next and get inspired by the trends around me, if on the internet, or the streets of Berlin. The same goes for the team at Beluga, and I am looking forward to a lot of exciting projects with our great team!”

Having studied communications in socioeconomic contexts (Gesellschafts- und Wirtschaftskommunikation) at the Berlin arts university UdK, he knows how to deal with strategic and communicative challenges in a creative way. Viktor loves brands, businesses, and strategy and can conduct various qualitative research methods to thoroughly analyze companies and their stakeholders and find the right insights.

He created an online Gen-Z community with study colleagues that generates insights for companies on how to improve on various important social issues (e.g., climate change, discrimination), helping them keep up to date and have a fresh mindset. He thinks it's important to enable contacts and conversations with the younger generation.

Viktor is living in Berlin for four years now, and for him, it is the perfect environment: fast-paced, culturally diverse, and every day you get a chance to meet great new people. The city's start-up ecosystem fascinates him, as he loves trends, great ideas, and experiencing innovations firsthand.

He loves to enjoy the city and its various activities in his free time, especially ones involving art. He keeps himself healthy and aligns his body and mind by going to the gym regularly. Another big passion is music, and you can find him working the decks in well known Berlin techno clubs, delivering energetic sets that are guaranteed to make you dance.

f2f consumer co-creation!

After many successful virtual innovation journeys, we are happy to kick-off our first f2f co-creation session "back home" at our beluga workshop facility. With the right approach virtual collaboration has proven to be successful over the course of the past weeks, but we are also happy to host our clients and co-creators in real life again too! #consumercentricdesign #cocreation

Beluga @ Definingthenextdecade

Imagined Futures with Richard Wilhelmer

Check out Richard Wilhelmer in conversation with Maxwell Kangkolo
Read more @Definingthenextdecade

Festival Award for Richard Wilhelmers "Anomalie"

We are happy to announce that the documentary "Anomalie" by Richard Wilhelmer won the Austrian Documentary Award at the 13th Ethnocineca - International Documentary Film Festival Vienna. Congratulations!!!

lear more:
http://richardwilhelmer.com/
http://www.anomalie-movie.com/

Cinema Release of "Anomalie" - a film by Richard Wilhelmer

How real is our individual perceived reality and to what relevance does this question have within the make-up of our collective social structures?

A set of agreed upon arrangements underpin our modern economies and societies by the mechanism of standardization. What role do such standards play in our communal life? There simply exists no standard for truth.

We are proud to announce the cinema release of “Anomalie” in Austria. Sold out cinema halls and overwhelming feedback! Nationwide in Austrias cinemas from 7th march - 25th of may!

learn more at: www.anomalie-movie.com

Press:
https://diepresse.com/home/schaufenster/leben/5594642/Was-ist-noch-normal

https://kurier.at/kultur/richard-wilhelmer-ueber-seine-doku-anomalie-bin-ich-noch-normal/400438852

https://www.derstandard.de/story/2000099067600/doku-essay-anomalie-wo-psychisches-leid-beginnt

https://www.kulturwoche.at/film/3800-filmkritik-anomalie

https://volksblatt.at/was-ist-schon-normal/

Beluga @ The Near Future Summit in Zürs

Beluga has been invited to join the Near Future Summit 2019 in Zürs along with Austrias top managers and business influencers. Four days of insightful talks, inspiring meetings and get togethers at the Zürserhof Hotel in the Austrian alps.

Changing leadership culture on a global scale

Thank you for this challenging, open and inspiring process with Jovoto. Together we challenged the leadership culture in a multinational blue chip company. Over the course of one year we conducted a global study to gather insights, developed relevant communication content , created and produced a global employee branding campaign. What a ride!

Opening Public Face Hafencity Hamburg

From November 2018, “Imagine the City” will complement urban development in HafenCity with several long-term projects that will occupy various locations.

The first project reacts directly to urban space: what is the mood like in HafenCity? The sculpture “Public Face” by the artists Julius von Bismarck, Benjamin Maus and Richard Wilhelmer on the Kibbelstegbrücke bridge gives answers: the seven-meter-high smiley made of steel and neon tubes is connected to security cameras in public space via a software and reflects people's collective feelings in real time.

Selected Press Releases:
Die Welt (print)
Hamburger Abendblatt (print)
NDR Nachrichten (TV)
Tag24
Die Zeit (print)
Der Stern (print)

Public Face @ Hafencity Hamburg

Ab November 2018 begleitet Imagine the City die Stadtentwicklung in der HafenCity und beschreitet neue Wege der Kulturproduktion und ihrer Vermittlung. Künftig besetzen mehrere langfristig angelegte Projekte frei zugängliche Orte und stellen deren vorgesehener Nutzung andere, unerwartete Anwendungen gegenüber.

Das erste Projekt reagiert direkt auf den urbanen Raum: Wie ist die Stimmung in der HafenCity? Die Skulptur Public Face der Künstler Julius von Bismarck, Benjamin Maus und Richard Wilhelmer auf der Kibbelstegbrücke zeigt es uns: Das sieben Meter hohe Smiley aus Stahl und Neonröhren ist über eine Software an Sicherheitskameras im öffentlichen Raum gekoppelt und spiegelt die kollektive Gefühlslage der Menschen in Echtzeit wieder.

“Fake Star” at NRW Forum Düsseldorf

Alternative facts, fake news and policy conspiracy theories are shaping our society in the 20th century. The joint art project of Beluga Founder Richard Wilhelmer with Julius von Bismarck and Benjamin Maus calls attention to the power of conspiratorial narrative in the group exhibition "Im Zweifel für den Zweifel" of various prestigious artist like Olafur Eliasson and Juliane Herrmann at NRW Forum Düsseldorf. A fake star above the museum, surveillance technologies, imitations and other exhibits are shown to the audience, while the visitors need to find their orientation in the exhibition. The Fake Star reflects the effects of the post-factual age and our collective understanding of truths. In the digital age, facts are credible if the majority of people in one’s social environment agree on it. That means even the assertion of the existence of a fake star can be seen as a real part of the sky and question the stars themselves while they become an active part of the work of art. The exhibition will be shown from the 21st September- 18th November 2018 at NRW Forum Düsseldorf.

https://www.nrw-forum.de/ausstellungen/weltverschwoerung

Defining the Next Decade (Panel)

Richard Wilhelmer sharing his thoughts about cultural and technological transformation in Berlin on an exciting panel with IXDS co-founder Reto Wattach and Ramzi Rizk the founder EyeEM. Thank you Maxwell Kangkolo & Benjamin Mateev for the kind invitation and Sebastian Sese (Manager @ Co-Creation Loft) for the great moderation!

Beluga @ BIFEX 2018 - The Beirut International Franchise Forum and Exhibition

Beluga Founder Edwin Strauss speaks about how to transform insights into tangible retail strategies.

The Beirut International Franchise Forum and Exhibition BIFEX is a yearly event that the LFA has organized since 2011. All six BIFEX editions have been well-received by LFA members, government officials, the private sector, Arab retailers and entrepreneurs, and the media. Each edition attracted almost 500 businessmen and businesswomen per event. The LFA is now delighted to announce the eighth edition, BIFEX 2018. 

BIFEX 2018 will demonstrate that the retail industry, and the brands it comprises, is one of the important engines of economic growth, and is well-placed to play a major role in the hoped-for economic revival of the country. The Forum will present the new ideas, technologies and innovations that Lebanese and Arab companies will need to enhance their competitive advantages. This will also help Lebanon to move forward and reclaim its prominent position as a hub of business, commerce, tourism and culture. 
https://www.lfalebanon.com/bifex
Read more on http://www.lebtivity.com/event/bifex-2018-the-beirut-international-franchise-forum-and-exhibition

Public Art Project Fake Star

Beluga Founder Richard Wilhelmer at the inauguration of his most recent joint art project with Julius von Bismarck and Benjamin Maus.

Regional Energy Systems Leadership Expo
https://www.energieavantgarde.de/regional-energy-systems-leadership-expo/

The Energieavantgarde Anhalt invited to the Regional Energy Systems Leadership Expo on April 11, 2018 in Lutherstadt Wittenberg to discuss with different actors the current state of knowledge of decentralized, renewable and digital energy systems and to learn from success stories together.

Upcoming Exhibitions:
"Im Zweifel für den Zweifel" (Gruppenausstellung) NRW Forum Düsseldorf September 2018

Press:
https://www.monopol-magazin.de/kuenstlergruppe-thematisiert-auswirkungen-des-postfaktischen-zeitalters

 

"Anomalie" World Premiere

Richard Wilhelmer and Beluga team member Daniel Haingartner celebrated the premiere of their cinema documentary "Anomalie" in front of a crowded audience at the "Diagonale 18' - Festival of Austrian Film"   Thank you!

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Festival impressions 2018: © Diagonale

Beluga Keynote at YMS - BLN

Beluga founder Edwin Strauss and our client representative Ruwen Warnke from Universal Music Group holding a speech at the YMS Youth Marketing conference in Berlin. They were talking about new approaches towards consumer centric design and progressive research.
Thank you for the inspiring talk and thank you YMS for the kind invitation and facilitation.

YMS Youth Marketing Strategy 2017 - Berlin

Cinema Documentary "Anomalie"

How real is our individually perceived reality and what relevance does this ques- tion have within the make-up of our collective social structures

Richard Wilhelmers shortly to be released cinema documentary accompanies the ‘homeless philosopher’ and ‘professed lunatic’ Fritz Joachim Rudert (alias Leonardell) on his mission to release the mind-controlled masses from their mania. And indeed it may appear that ‘crazy‘ Fritz and his con- federates from the German anti-phsychiatry movement „BPE“ (Bundesverband gegen Psychiatrische Gewalt) achieved some political success.

The inquiries and works by renowned researchers - Allen Frances, Elisabeth Lof- tus, Joscha Bach and Gerhard Roth - exemplify the economic interests, scienti c ambitions and political coherences in and around the world of the human cons- ciousness.

„Anomaly“ is an essayistic lm about the systemic and individual ‘abnormalities’ of the so-called Western World. The result is a cinematic journey that provides an inventory of many fragmented and discursive narratives towards one singular conclusion: “Man is not worried by real problems so much as by his imagined anxieties about real problems” Epictetus

Trailer: