When management gurus talk enthusiastically about disruption, they mean disrupting other people’s business. When they talk about creativity, they think of yet another tool for increasing profits. And when they talk about natives, they mean generations that can’t tell anymore what is real and what is virtual or that digit used to mean a finger.
In South-East Europe life is good. It is sometimes really hard, too. There are more nations and languages and religions than in any similarly sized region. People here don’t have much in common. Everything happens too fast.
These complexities are as frustrating now as they were life threatening throughout history. With countless rulers and artists and philosophers being born across the region, being creative often meant just managing to stay alive.
So when people here talk about disruption, it’s something that happens every day. Outstanding creativity is as normal as the air we breathe, and being native means actually knowing where you belong: to millennia of mind blowing milestones.
South-East Europe, Timeless and Boundless
BIG SEE is the newest, latest and most exiting platform under the BIG umbrella. SEE is both, to see and Southeast Europe. And it brings together 21 countries and 340 million people in what we feel, claim and exclaim is the most compelling, most creative region in the world. We here in the SEE region have a unique take on Europe and the larger world beyond. We’re able to step outside the common Eurocentric view and offer up something a little different – different in terms of both interpretation and production. Because there’s a lot to know, see and experience – and very few channels through which to get the message out there, and turn the gaze back here, where Europe proper began way back when. And the 21 countries? From the Adriatic-Ionian, the Balkan-Mediterranean and from the Danube region: Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, The Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Kosovo, Malta, North Macedonia, The Republic of Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia and Turkey.
BIG is oficially an institution, Centre for Creative Economy of Southeast Europe, in practice is a big umbrella for a variety of compelling creative endeavours. Its purpose is to bring strong creative practices closer to audiences everywhere in the larger region. As publisher (HIŠE magazine), event organiser (Month of Design, BIG SEE Architecture, BIG SEE Awards) and now, steering the new BIG SEE creative platform, BIG brings together individuals, institutions and companies to explore and celebrate everything this dynamic region has to offer.
The BIG SEE platform – the BIG SEE brand – recognizes the great production and potential of an array of spheres and sectors, from architecture and design; art, culture and lifestyle; sports, science, education and politics; business and commerce; and travel, food and hospitality. BIG SEE’s annual program will bring people from the creative and business sectors from all 21 SEE countries together into the BIG SEE initiative – as part of awards, conferences, festivals, exhibitions and pavilions. Because we’re determined to bring the business of creativity and the creativity of business closer together.
Ultimately BIG SEE will construct national pavilions – rather in the spirit of Venice and the World Expo, but open on-site or on-line all year round, in an all new contemporary take on the traditional exposition scheme. Because pavilions serve as inspiring, focused frameworks for showcasing all that is special about a discipline and an entire country or region. If it’s smart, innovative and compelling, we’re interested; if it’s distinctive, curious and captivating we’re all in. And we want to talk about it, build it, exhibit it; debate, publish, serve and share.
BIG SEE aims to systematically explore and celebrate the creative strength, passion and exotica of this very special region, together.Together with all its many regional partners study, BIG SEE serves as a unique forum to discuss and develop SEE’s cultural, economic and political role, and its significance and influence on a globalised and increasingly fractured world. Because BIG SEE supports all that is creative, forward-looking and full of compelling potential; because we want to good things and share our knowledge, experience, exotica and exquisite good taste with everyone. BIG SEE will define an ambitious and far-reaching ongoing all-year programme that will be developed in close collaboration with SEE countries, government, embassies and consulates, institutions and companies. Together we will identify, connect and profle the people and ideas that best represent the best of SEE’s forward-looking values.
Individually – as individuals, regions or entire states – we cannot hope to develop ambitious initiatives alone. But by supporting a larger common vision, by working together, we can realise, share and gain from the fruits of our creative collaboration. Because together we are stronger.
We are curious, forward-looking and optimistic; we are local and global. We are BIG from SEE and we have something special to share – with anyone who dares to care and cares to dare. Come SEE BIG.
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