Hamburg, February 21st – 26th
About the Project
- 30 years of Hinz&Kunzt
- 30 stories of homeless people
- 30 AI artworks
- 1 “homeless” pop-up gallery
- 9 locations in 5 days
- 39.000 visitors
- 73,9 mio. media reactions
Yesterday, on February 26th, we celebrated the last day of the world’s first homeless/ open-air / ai-artwork exhibition: Once again, as on the previous four days on our tour through Hamburg , hundreds of people came to visit the Homeless Gallery, take photos, talk about the artworks, learn the moving stories of the homeless personalities behind the art, and support them by buying merchandising and donating money to Hinz & Kunzt.
Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, the well-known street magazine Hinz & Kunzt, edited in Hamburg and distributed by homeless people who make their living with their magazine’s sales commission, the Homeless Gallery was created as unique charity project that aimed at raising awareness about the striking dissonance between the local policy’s goal to end homelessness in Hamburg by 2030, while the covid pandemic and the series of other crises eroding people’s willingness to spend money on charitable, humanitarian projects rather than investing their funds in save businesses such as real estate – and art.
Given that mission, the project has been a complete success: The Homeless Gallery has had a fantastic outreach with lots of television coverage. The integrated campaign of print, merchandise, website, AI art, photography, social media, OOH, DOOH, event, radio, film, guerrilla stunts, PR and composition has been created from scratch to the streets in less than two months but recorded more than 260 clippings within the first two days only.
And it’s not over yet. There is still so much content to play across social channels in the coming weeks, with the auction by Christies in the fall yet to come, and some of the images to be exhibited at the Hamburger Kunsthalle, the official partner and supporter of Hinz & Kunzt in this Pro Bono Project.
But above all the media attention, it has already helped those who are actually the heart and soul of the project: The feedback from the Hinz&Künztler:innen has moved me very much. They think the campaign is really good and that the Homeless Gallery has made the topic of homelessness visible, almost tangible, in a new and touching way, and it is an action that offers help for self-help.
I have learned a lot in the past two months. That experience will shape my internship for sure.
My Role
As project manager by Philipp & Keuntje GmbH, the agency that shared the creative and operational lead with Mantikor GmbH in this special charity project, I was honored to contribute to the gallery’s realization in terms of event management of the opening Vernissage on February 21st, the following gallery tour, and the exhibition and auction of the pieces of art that are yet to come, as well as by taking taking charge of sponsoring and merchandising, PR and influencer management, DOOH campaigning and legal affairs.
The Making Of
It has been incredible to witness the dedication, creative energy, and outstanding effort that everyone on the project – a team of members of more than 10 agencies from marketing over creative direction and technical facilitation- has given to the project for the good cause. What may have seemed a bit wild at times, was actually one of the most deeply executed campaigns ever to be executed by PUK and I has the privilege to be a part of it.
This ain’t just advertising anymore. We’ve created a true work of art.
