Clara Ormieres — UNREAL PLOTS
BA / Man and Communication
WHAT ‘Unreal Plots’ offers a new form of entertainment that uses the principles of conspiracy to turn everyday trivialities into thrilling tales. WHY We all invent stories — temporary realities that we create in our mind when facing uncertainty. This project shows how easily real events can be manipulated and turned into instant fiction via an app. HOW The story starts when you scan a photo from your own custom newspaper with your phone: it might be Harvey Weinstein’s bathroom, the Kalimantan Olympic stadium or the United States Congress — emptied of people or personal things. An actor shows up on your screen and the plot thickens. Based on recent headlines, a personal narrative begins to unravel: fake news is written on the spot. QUOTE “The news is the effect and you are the cause.”
Elvira von Wieding Lidin — I-WALL
BA / Man and Leisure
WHAT A glass room divider with double-sided mirrors inspired by digital interfaces. A reflection of our need to see ourselves, the mirrors also confront us with our digital behaviour. WHY Social media has turned us into regular showoffs as we pout and pose to broadcast our success online. This self-important behaviour is nothing new, as 18thcentury period interiors reveal: stuffed with ornaments to display the owner’s status. In a modern parallel, Elvira von Wieding Lidin brings our digital vanity into the physical living space. HOW Normally we cannot see ourselves as we engage online. In this mirrored screen, we can catch a glimpse that may put our actions in a different light. QUOTE “This is the story of an ornamental species in a digital age.” Realised in collaboration with Dividere Foundation and supported by the Danish Art Foundation.
Hala Tawil — GRADUAL UNEASE
MA / Contextual Design
WHAT These ambiguous objects play with perception as they balance on the border between innocence, sex and food. WHY Childish imagery of cartoons and toys have something strangely in common ground with that of erotic imagery, says Hala Tawil. Both represent the world in a perfect and delicious manner. ‘Gradual Unease’ investigates this type of kitschy imagery, and the mechanisms of desire that lie underneath. HOW The forms of these glossy meats and sweets were inspired by the food Hala spotted in children’s cartoons. Made of resin-coated papier-mâché, they create their own fun setting in a slightly unsettling way, which is emphasised by their strangely small scale. QUOTE “Where do we draw the line between what we need and what we want?”
Kirsten Geekie — IN ANTICIPATION
MA / Design Curating and Writing
WHAT A presentation that reveals how the barriers erected to prevent suicides reflect conflicting requirements dictated by mental health, government policy and public opinion. WHY Barriers and nets are increasingly installed on high bridges in an effort to prevent suicides. As physical manifestations of the line between public life and private crisis, they are tools used to tackle a problem, while the public demands that they be invisible. HOW Kirsten Geekie compiled statistics — dates, materials, heights, fatalities, and so on — about 30 sites and presented them as infographics. Using Google Earth, she created a video that captures the mundane reality of the bridges, an effect enhanced by digital speakers that convey sounds recorded on the bridges. QUOTE “A barrier is a physical representation of private crisis in the public realm.”
Lotte de Haan — SAMSAM
BA / Man and Well-Being
WHAT An initiative that brings together seniors from care centres and recent arrivals in the country in a ‘language café’. WHY Elderly residents of care centres often have lots of time but little meaningful to do. ‘samsam’ offers them a chance to make a positive contribution to society by helping newcomers to learn Dutch through conversation lessons. The initiative champions equality, empowerment and inclusion. HOW Lotte de Haan created an online platform (www.samsam.org) that explains how care centres can open a language café. She guides them through the process and gives them all the tools to start and sustain the language café. QUOTE “Everybody can be meaningful in the right context.” Realised in collaboration with Tineke Kooreman, Vitalis Parc Gender and Taalhuis Eindhoven.
Ola Korbańska — PURITY IS TEMPORARY
MA / Contextual Design
WHAT A series of banners made of dirty cleaning rags as a protest in support of women’s rights, showing empowering statements that have escaped from the dirt. WHY Inspired by the Black Protest in Poland, Ola Korbańska embraced the cliché that cleaning is a women’s job to make her point. By taking their undervalued chores out of the house and into the open, she publicly questions the suppressed position of women worldwide. HOW By ostentatiously scrubbing significant public places — a church, a governmental building, a square or a statue — she gave the act of cleaning a special significance. As the cloth soaks up the dirt, the tapedoff letters acquire meaning and form a clear message: ‘no woman no kraj’, meaning: no woman, no country. QUOTE “Dirt is captured and exposed to convey a message.”
Pauline Wiersema — CUT THE CRAP Cum Laude
BA / Man and Leisure
WHAT For too long pigeons have been seen as filthy rats with wings. This campaign, inspired by populist parties and political movements, aims to give this unloved bird the podium it deserves. Or is the pigeon a way to tell a bigger story? WHY Populists are masters of communication and manipulation. So what better way to engage the masses than to learn from the experts and make use of their methods? HOW Full of strong, simplistic language and bright visuals, the campaign mimics the way issues are blown up to absurdity, leading to polarised debates where the underlying causes are put aside and left undiscussed. QUOTE The real issue is polarisation. The pigeon is just a decoy.
Sara Kaiser — CONVERSATIONS ON LONGEVITY
BA / Man and Leisure
WHAT Sara Kaiser explores our increasing life expectancy. A video imagines a future when people live longer through medically enhanced diets, and an interactive installation invites people to take part in a partly scripted discussion. WHY With scientific advancements, our life spans have increased continuously. Some enthusiasts believe that soon we will be able to completely eliminate ageing processes. Predictions like these raise many questions on the moral and ethical consequences of living longer. Sara Kaiser offers a context to explore these. HOW The film translates scientific technologies into a fictional narrative. It acts as a teaser for the role play that allows participants to explore different ideas and opinions on life extension. QUOTE “Future wealth may not only manifest in money, but also in time.” Realised in collaboration with Dividere Foundation and sponsored by Kvadrat.