YD-LABS
500K Exhibition In development
The 500K Exhibition is an ongoing project aimed at translating the full scope of the 500K collection into a physical experience. It seeks to capture both the sheer scale of the archive and the personal, intimate nature of each individual drawing. Thousands of anonymous contributors, using the most basic tools, have created a collective artistic footprint spanning over two decades. The exhibition explores the deeper patterns, connections, and cultural reflections within the 500K archive. It blends interactivity with historical exploration, allowing visitors to engage with the collection in real-time while gaining a broader perspective on its significance.
D.R.A.W. (Dynamic Raw Art Wall) In development
D.R.A.W. is a digital installation that brings the 500K archive to life. Displayed on architectural surfaces or high-resolution digital screens, it presents the vast collection as a continuously shifting composition. Audience participation plays a key role in shaping the artwork, as visitors can contribute their own drawings via an interactive drawpad, embedding their work into the collective display. By embracing the spontaneity of the doodle and removing traditional notions of artistic hierarchy, D.R.A.W. challenges institutionalised frameworks of art curation. It transforms a static archive into a dynamic, participatory experience, emphasising inclusivity and community-driven storytelling.
500K Catalog In development
The 500K Catalog is a 500-page publication showcasing half a million drawings from the YouDraw archive. Designed as both an artistic record and a cultural artifact, it captures the essence of the project in physical form. Throughout the book, selected drawings are highlighted, inviting deeper engagement with the details and stories behind them. To complement the catalog, an app is currently in development that will allow users to scan any drawing and retrieve its associated metadata—contextualising each piece within the broader history of the 500K project.
MOON DRAW 2025
A piece from the 500K/YouDraw collection is now part of space exploration history. Selected for inclusion in the Blue Ghost 1 mission, a digital artwork from 500K has been etched onto a nickel nanofiche and sent to the Moon aboard the Firefly Aerospace module. This initiative, led by the Moon Mars Museum in collaboration with LifeShip’s Pyramid on the Moon project, ensures that human artistic expression extends beyond Earth.
Wikipedia
P.A.S.T.E On going
An Ongoing Experiment in Digital Art and Collective Creativity
YD-LABS is a continuously evolving digital art laboratory exploring raw artistic expression through simple tools and collective participation. Founded in 1999 by designer Louis Paschoud and developer Peter Holberton, the lab has expanded through various initiatives, collaborations, and installations, always guided by the belief that constraints—limited tools, minimal interfaces—can ignite creativity in unexpected ways.
YouDraw 1999 - 2021
YouDraw was one of the earliest online drawing platforms, providing users with a minimalistic set of tools to create digital drawings directly in their browser. With just a white background, two black pens (thick and thin), and two erasers, it offered an exercise in pure creativity, unrestricted by complex features.For two decades, the drawing tool remained unchanged, fostering an organic community where users could engage in a global, open-ended creative exchange. Over time, the platform grew into a massive digital archive, preserving the raw artistic expressions of countless contributors.
500K Map & Website 2022
500K was conceived as a way to display and preserve the vast collection of drawings created on YouDraw. Comprising 500,000 unique digital artworks made over 25 years, 500K represents a living testament to internet-based creativity. The 500K Map serves as an interactive archive, designed to allow users to navigate through the entire body of work in a structured yet fluid manner. It transforms the collection from a static repository into an organic, ever-evolving record of digital expression. Each drawing, while unique, exists within a broader context—together, they form a visual history of spontaneous creativity shaped by the simple constraints of the YouDraw toolset.
YD-LABS is a continuously evolving digital art laboratory exploring raw artistic expression through simple tools and collective participation. Founded in 1999 by designer Louis Paschoud and developer Peter Holberton, the lab has expanded through various initiatives, collaborations, and installations, always guided by the belief that constraints—limited tools, minimal interfaces—can ignite creativity in unexpected ways.
YouDraw 1999 - 2021
YouDraw was one of the earliest online drawing platforms, providing users with a minimalistic set of tools to create digital drawings directly in their browser. With just a white background, two black pens (thick and thin), and two erasers, it offered an exercise in pure creativity, unrestricted by complex features.For two decades, the drawing tool remained unchanged, fostering an organic community where users could engage in a global, open-ended creative exchange. Over time, the platform grew into a massive digital archive, preserving the raw artistic expressions of countless contributors.
500K Map & Website 2022
500K was conceived as a way to display and preserve the vast collection of drawings created on YouDraw. Comprising 500,000 unique digital artworks made over 25 years, 500K represents a living testament to internet-based creativity. The 500K Map serves as an interactive archive, designed to allow users to navigate through the entire body of work in a structured yet fluid manner. It transforms the collection from a static repository into an organic, ever-evolving record of digital expression. Each drawing, while unique, exists within a broader context—together, they form a visual history of spontaneous creativity shaped by the simple constraints of the YouDraw toolset.
500K Exhibition In development
The 500K Exhibition is an ongoing project aimed at translating the full scope of the 500K collection into a physical experience. It seeks to capture both the sheer scale of the archive and the personal, intimate nature of each individual drawing. Thousands of anonymous contributors, using the most basic tools, have created a collective artistic footprint spanning over two decades. The exhibition explores the deeper patterns, connections, and cultural reflections within the 500K archive. It blends interactivity with historical exploration, allowing visitors to engage with the collection in real-time while gaining a broader perspective on its significance.
D.R.A.W. (Dynamic Raw Art Wall) In development
D.R.A.W. is a digital installation that brings the 500K archive to life. Displayed on architectural surfaces or high-resolution digital screens, it presents the vast collection as a continuously shifting composition. Audience participation plays a key role in shaping the artwork, as visitors can contribute their own drawings via an interactive drawpad, embedding their work into the collective display. By embracing the spontaneity of the doodle and removing traditional notions of artistic hierarchy, D.R.A.W. challenges institutionalised frameworks of art curation. It transforms a static archive into a dynamic, participatory experience, emphasising inclusivity and community-driven storytelling.
500K Catalog In development
The 500K Catalog is a 500-page publication showcasing half a million drawings from the YouDraw archive. Designed as both an artistic record and a cultural artifact, it captures the essence of the project in physical form. Throughout the book, selected drawings are highlighted, inviting deeper engagement with the details and stories behind them. To complement the catalog, an app is currently in development that will allow users to scan any drawing and retrieve its associated metadata—contextualising each piece within the broader history of the 500K project.
MOON DRAW 2025
A piece from the 500K/YouDraw collection is now part of space exploration history. Selected for inclusion in the Blue Ghost 1 mission, a digital artwork from 500K has been etched onto a nickel nanofiche and sent to the Moon aboard the Firefly Aerospace module. This initiative, led by the Moon Mars Museum in collaboration with LifeShip’s Pyramid on the Moon project, ensures that human artistic expression extends beyond Earth.
Wikipedia
P.A.S.T.E On going
P.A.S.T.E (People’s Art Stuck & Tagged Everywhere) is a project that brings digital art into physical space. Participants select artworks from the 500K collection, print them as stickers, and paste them in urban environments. Each piece is tagged and mapped, creating a dynamic, evolving record of where art has been placed. P.A.S.T.E was developed in the spirit of street art, offering a way for anyone to engage with creativity while ensuring the legacy of 500K grows beyond the digital realm.
