Eulan To’s map, Foldthe.world, fights phone theft and digital saturation with print, art, and local memory
In a city where everything is going digital, Eulan To is choosing to go analogue. As the streets of Shoreditch prepare for an influx of 20,000 creatives attending SXSW London (2–7 June 2025), they’ll be handed something cool in East London: a print map.
foldthe.world, a new grassroots mapping project by brand strategist and cultural storyteller Eulan To, is using a humble print object to challenge hyper-digital culture, gentrification, and the slow erasure of East London’s immigrant-led culture.
The map is designed to resemble a mobile phone acts as both a guide for festival-goers and a sleek but subversive response to the area’s growing phone theft problem.
At the same time, the map serves a deeper purpose: highlighting immigrant-run and independently owned creative businesses that are often pushed to the margins amid gentrification and tourist saturation.
The mind behind the map is Eulan To whose work bridges creative tech and cultural storytelling. To’s connection to East London runs deep. Many of the businesses mapped were chosen through To’s long-standing connection to the neighbourhood, including immigrant-owned spaces often excluded from major events and platforms.
“I’ve been a part of the Shoreditch scene since the late ’90s,” says To. “I’ve seen it transform again and again, and I wanted to create something that honours the cultural layers we’re at risk of losing.”
These are not just trendy venues buy are often run by first or second-generation Londoners whose contributions to East London’s creative fabric are too often overlooked.
One highlight is the East London Chinatown route, created with Tony from The Steamroom, connecting eight Chinese and Asian-led businesses in cultural trail. Check out their launch event here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/east-by-south-east-tickets-1389844013859?aff=oddtdtcreator
At each participating business, a Mini Tony figurine is hidden – visitors are invited to find them, snap a selfie, and collect the letter each one holds. Gather all eight letters, solve the puzzle to reveal a secret password, and join the treasure hunt finale. The first 100 participants to complete the quest can head to Steamroom East at Boxpark Shoreditch, meet artist Fran, and receive an exclusive signed print created to celebrate the launch of the new East London Chinatown route.
Another element is Mr Brick, an augmented reality game seamlessly woven into the printed map. This playful tech integration invites users to explore the area more deeply, blending digital storytelling with real-world discovery, serving as a perfect metaphor for To’s hybrid approach to cultural experience.
To enhance engagement, a local street artist has created a week-long treasure hunt across mapped locations, signing limited-edition posters available during the festival. The map will be distributed for free at Old Street Station, Shoreditch High Street Overground, and Liverpool Street Station, as well as stocked at the Barbican, Spitalfields Market, and select independent shops. Digital downloads will be available from 27 May via billboards at 347 Old Street.
Made in collaboration with Old Street District, home to tech giants like Adobe and Canva, the project places independent creative businesses in dialogue with global innovation. During SXSW London and Frieze Week, the map becomes more than just a tool for navigation; it’s a cultural anchor, safeguarding the real Shoreditch through design, storytelling, and intention.
And in a time when cultural memory can be as fleeting as a disappearing Instagram story, a paper map – foldable, and local – might just be the most radical thing you need.
Follow @foldthe.world on Instagram for more updates.
