THE PLATFORM
CounterCult is an open, participatory tool for mapping and analysing culture outside of traditional institutions and ecosystems. It helps communities capture lived culture ranging from nightclubs to recipes to local sustainable practices. With the map’s bottom-up approach, people everywhere can document and view lived culture across the globe.
OUR VALUES
Bottom-up
Culture is created and experienced by people. This is why CounterCult relies on local communities to select and input culture that truly matters to them, fostering a participatory approach to the documentation of culture.
Open
CounterCult recognises that culture is found everywhere, from your grandparent’s recipes to local folklore to your favourite artist hangout. The principle of openness is central in the creation of the tool and any contributions to it.
Lived culture
Lived culture exists everywhere, without the approval of institutions or algorithms. Operating outside of the big tech and traditional ecosystems, we refuse to rank culture by prestige, funding, or institutional approval.
CONTRIBUTORS
Danaja A. Volk
Shona Neary
leandra
Luka
Kristian
andreas
OTHER PROJECTS
ABOUT THE CREATORS
Shona Neary
Shona is a Berlin-based artist and creative strategist, leading design, marketing, and business development at CounterCult. With experience across tech, art, and fashion, she merges creative direction with strategy to build tools that bridge technology and culture. They have worked with a unicorn startup and on projects with MoMA, and her work has been recognized for innovation and impact. They bring strong skills in storytelling, fundraising, and cross-industry collaboration.
Danaja Antonija Volk
Danaja is a Berlin-based cultural curator and co-founder of CounterCult. Her work blends culture, community, and technology to uncover emerging behaviors and turn lived experience into insight. She has led projects for Patreon, Tech Open Air, Most Wanted: Music, WISE, and United We Stream, helping raise over €1.5 million for clubs and cultural workers. She focuses on fair creator pay, cross-border exchange, and community-led cultural programs. She’s also part of Klub Ostkreuz and a long-running voice on THF Radio.