16 faces that are inspiring the future of work

What is the power of a portrait? More than just a style or a shift of a camera angle, a well placed, striking, portrait has been able to convey a strong message for centuries – if not millenia. Although countless portraits of national leaders and icons may have desensitized audiences, a striking glance from an unexpected muse then becomes even more powerful.

The OECD has recently leveraged the power of a portrait as a part of their storytelling series “I am the Future of Work”. Equipped with 16 portraits and stories from people of diverse origins, this series offers an intimate viewpoint on how people  feel about the significant societal shifts that are underway. Foregoing an overly dystopian or utopian viewpoint, these stories provide concrete solutions to inspire the OECD’s policy work. Raw stories such as those of Satomi, Muhammad, Gülin and Gabriela are imperative for ensuring that the policies that will govern our future economies are adapted to the needs of all global citizens.

During the OECD Summit in June 2019 where PLACE was present,  these portraits dawned the halls of the OECD has people from around the world came together to talk solutions and challenges in the future of work – serving as gentle reminders to keep users in scope and all solutions practical.

Double portrait,  in collaboration with Manifesto and parisian-photographer Tina Mérandon

PLACE has long experimented with the role of portraits and strong visual representation as tools to boost migrant-led-innovation in leadership. A quintessential part of PLACE’s immersive environments, the larger-than-life portraits featuring newcomers from PLACE’s community are essential in creating a space where innovative ideas flow freely. In late 2018, our use of portraits took on another form through the travelling exposition Double Portrait, an experimental art project created in collaboration with Manifesto and parisian-photographer Tina Mérandon, that explored the role of migration on one’s perceived and chosen identity.

Double portrait,  in collaboration with Manifesto and parisian-photographer Tina Mérandon