Interview with Denis Widmann Design Studio

“The Grand Campari Hotel” was a guest at Soho House during the Bar Convent Berlin and impressed with a particularly exclusive invitation. With great attention to detail, Denis Widmann realised a pop-up solution that had the hotel and the London shuttle bus used at this event pop up on a box. A symbolic hotel key was placed in a drawer. As a goodie, selected guests were also able to enjoy the “Paper Peep Show”, in which famous bartenders met in a three-dimensional production.

Both the invitation and the “Paper Peep Show” are characterised by dense storytelling. Did you have the story in mind right from the start?

The aim of the invitation was simply to immerse the guest in the event immediately, meaning that the rough outline of the storytelling was already clear at the briefing. With the “Paper Peep Show” it was different due to its complexity. I gradually approached the protagonists and placed bartenders like Charles Schumann or Ago Perrone as visuals in the scenery. I wanted to achieve a film-like atmosphere and was inspired by the style of Victorian panoramas that I first saw when studying in Scotland. These handmade paper stage installations were often a favourite souvenir of high society in the Victorian era.

Pop-ups in particular require precise production. What role did the material play in this?

The material plays a key role in every project, so I always choose it carefully and look at samples before I make a decision. In the case of Campari, it was a specially produced variety from the Gmund Creative System, which was wonderful to work with.

What is the aim of this project?

In a world where deep fakes exist, we will have to use multiple ways to prove our identities. HSBC Trusted Identity could be one of the ways to address these challenges and build a more secure and collaborative future. By empowering individuals to manage their own identities and collaborating with ecosystem partners, we can create a better future for everyone.

What is the most difficult hurdle to overcome to make this project a success?

The biggest challenge is in understanding the new technology and shaping a service world view. What is the minimum unit that represents your identity? Why should your identity lie in a wallet? How do you manage your identity? Why can’t your bank serve you in recovering your data if you lose your wallet? All those definition-level questions impact our understanding and help us shape new daily norms.