This February, we interviewed 400 young people from 21 countries to hear their thoughts on ‘life’ | VIVA LA VIDA Online Interviews
- vivabranding
- Jul 18
- 3 min read
“What is your life?”
Never before has there been a moment
when we felt more compelled to explore the meaning of ‘life’
than at the close of 2020.
Over the past year,
we have witnessed so many partings and deaths
that we have begun to see life in a new light.
So, in February 2021,
we decided to launch
a street interview series on the theme of life.
21 days, 21 people each day,
21 countries, 5 questions—
we persevered for 21 days,
and gathered 2,121 resolute answers about life.
Between 1 February and 21 February, we interviewed 441 people from all corners of the globe on five questions about life. The interviewees came from Italy, Sweden, Germany, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Spain, the United States, Romania, New Zealand, Palestine, Belarus, Russia, Costa Rica, the United Kingdom, India, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and Malaysia and many other countries, spanning all five continents, and shared their reflections on life with us.
Over these 21 days, our street interviews took us from Sanlitun to China World Trade Centre, Zhongguancun, Wangjing, Yizhuang Science and Technology Park, Wudaoying, and even to Silicon Valley in the United States. We travelled to countless corners of the world and encountered the rich diversity of life.
‘What colour is your life?’
‘If you had to describe your life using a single colour, which one would you choose?’
Among these 441 answers, there were passionate reds, lively yellows and vibrant greens, as well as pure whites and serene blacks; each person offered a unique interpretation of the colour of their life.
After conducting a statistical analysis of everyone’s chosen colours, we found that blue was the most common choice. In their eyes, blue represents the sea and the sky; it also symbolises clarity and vastness, melancholy and solitude, reserve and tranquillity, and at times, it embodies mystery and freedom.
Among the 2,121 answers about life, some moved us, whilst others gave us pause for thought; there is always one answer that transcends the barrier of the screen to strike a chord in your heart.
‘Describe your life with a painting’
Lines Converging on Rome
There are many places, many lines, pointing in different directions,
but ultimately they all converge on a single centre: Rome.
Because I will eventually return to Rome;
even if I travel to many places throughout my life,
I will always return to my hometown.
A Tree
A tree, because its roots represent history;
everything that came before has shaped who I am today,
the trunk represents who I am now,
and the branches sprouting new leaves
represent who I hope to become in the future.
All Things
In the sky, a blazing sun shines down upon all things,
creating a sense of tranquillity. Birds are flying, the grass is smiling,
and people live happily and contentedly on Earth.
Special Thanks
21 days, 21 people every day, 21 videos.
This was originally an impossible challenge.
But thanks to you, we did it.
Thank you for helping VIVA achieve the impossible.
Thank you for allowing us to witness the unique stories of life around the world.
About the Organisation
Viva la Vida (VIVA) is a cross-cultural arts brand operating in over 60 countries worldwide, dedicated to documenting life stories through art, promoting cross-cultural understanding and social welfare. We invite people from diverse cultural backgrounds to answer the question ‘What is your life?’ through a painting, thereby documenting a variety of life stories and fostering cross-cultural understanding.
Over the past seven years, VIVA has collaborated with organisations such as the United Nations, Coca-Cola and Tencent to organise more than 400 events and collect over 20,000 life portraits, transforming individual expression into a bridge for cultural dialogue.
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