News + Trends
Probably the "most impractical screen in the world" consists of 1000 wooden cubes
by Kim Muntinga
The world as a hidden object: New trend turns pixel art into a global Community project
12.8.2025
Translation: machine translated
Many cooks spoil the broth? Not in the Wplace project: here, people from all over the world create a patchwork of pixel art that, taken together, results in a global work of art.
There are some things you just have to love about the internet. The new Community project Wplace is definitely one of them. Imagine an interactive world map that serves as a real-time canvas for pixel art - and everyone on the planet can join in. At least, as long as the Wplace servers keep up. The project went viral at the end of July and the rush for the map is so great that it is currently not possible to join in.
But at least you can keep an eye out for works of art on Wplace. You just need to be patient sometimes until the map and the pixel art are loaded. And be careful: thanks to Wplace, the world is a hidden object and viewing it is addictive.
A few days ago, the operator of the project, Brazilian software developer Murilo Matsubura, announced on Instagram that one million people had already taken part. The team is aware of the performance problems due to the high number of participants and is working on them.
Where does Wplace come from?
Does the concept of the Community canvas sound vaguely familiar to you? Then you're right: Wplace serves the same idea as the Reddit event r/place, which recurs every year but is only ever held temporarily.
Source: Wplace
The difference is that Wplace doesn't use a blank canvas, but the world map. This inspires people to immortalise local messages, sights and events. In Albuquerque in the USA, for example, there are numerous allusions to the series «Breaking Bad», which was set there.
In addition, unlike r/place, the project is not time-limited. There are currently no known plans to close the screen. And there is enough space for the time being: more than four trillion pixels are available.
A leaderboard, which you can access directly from the world map, shows where there are particularly many works of art to be seen and which users have placed the most pixels. Brazil, the USA and Russia have been decorated the most so far.
What there is in the world
If you have a pessimistic view of people on the internet, this may be true in many cases. But there are surprisingly few hate messages on Wplace and I have yet to find a single p*sshole. Instead, you can see the concentrated creativity of the participants. I took a look around and show you a few works.
At Berlin you'll find a kilometre-long music playlist in the landscape. Maybe you want to add your own favourite song.
Source: Wplace
There are different opinions on the Gaza conflict, but one thing is clear: the civilian population is suffering. Thousands of hearts show solidarity with the people.
Source: Wplace
The wizard Gandalf, known from Tolkien's «The Lord of the Rings», blocks the Suez Canal like the container ship «Ever Given» a few years ago. After all, Gandalf didn't let the Balrog pass either, so he's probably pretty good at blocking it.
Source: Wplace
Find more creative examples and information on the Wplace hype here.
Zurich, where the Digitec headquarters are located, could do with more works of art. The large clock is definitely striking - I'd love to know the story behind it.
Source: Debora Pape
Pixel by pixel, works of art are created
There is one restriction to ensure that nobody simply paints the entire globe black: the number of pixels you can place at once is very limited. After that, you have to wait until your quota has been replenished. So you need patience if you want to complete an elaborate work of art - and also a bit of luck, as others can take your work.
It's quicker if you team up with others. Then you can work on a picture together and complete it more quickly - but you have to coordinate your work carefully. It is not possible to sketch the picture in advance.
However, you can use browser plugins to display image templates, for example. This makes it easier to create really eye-catching works of art. The Blue Marble plugin is popular for this.
Header image: Wplace / Los Angeles
Feels just as comfortable in front of a gaming PC as she does in a hammock in the garden. Likes the Roman Empire, container ships and science fiction books. Focuses mostly on unearthing news stories about IT and smart products.
Computing
Follow topics and stay updated on your areas of interest
4 comments
later