Verbundenheit

A participatory art project created to celebrate the 50th anniversary of GLS Bank, and to highlight and strengthen the social connections within the GLS community. Over the course of a year, a series of interactive onsite CroChat workshops—both inside and outside the bank—invited employees and customers to engage in a shared creative process. These workshops provided a unique opportunity for people to connect in new ways, fostering collaboration and creativity that led into a communal artwork for the lobby of the GLS Bank headquarters.

At the heart of CroChat is the traditional craft of crochet, a technique rich with personal and social significance. The project brought attention to the many values embedded in this age-old handcraft: its meditative, calming effect on the maker, as well as the joy of sitting together, chatting, and creating in a shared space. It sparked new dialogues—not only among participants but also among those who observed the process unfold.

This whole experience and its manifestation is a reminder of the beauty of collective effort—the way individual contributions come together to create something greater than the sum of its parts.