Idil Keysan illustrates Wikipedia, “the brain of the world,” in a set of gifs
The Wikipedia Brand Studio partnered with Turkish artist Idil Keysan to visualize Wikipedia and the world’s knowledge as a set of GIFs.
Idil created 25 GIFs that visualize “the culture, knowledge, and [communities] around the world,” as it’s the world that “create[s] Wikipedia’s content.” The set includes images related to science, art, nature, pop culture, and a character we’re calling “brainy.”
Millions of people searched for tags like studying, learning, and information before using one of her Wikipedia-inspired GIFs. The GIFs were released in May 2019 and were viewed over 4 million times in the first day. Since their release, they have been served over three hundred million times.
I asked Idil about her life, her work, and the value of free knowledge. Read my interview with the artist here.
Team:
Illustration, Animation: Idil Keysan
Art direction: Blanca Flores
Want to make something inspired by the Wikipedia brand? We'd love to hear from you.
We collaborate with everyone from fashion labels to film studios to Wikipedia editors.
Send us a note with your idea: brandcollaborations@wikimedia.org