concept design
A selection of conceptual art projects. Swipe/scroll to see the whole project, and click on the images to see them in full size.
The Holland Hate Awards / 2020
It might sound a bit odd: rewarding haters for bashing others online. You would say that this is not exactly behavior that we should stimulate. Unfortunately, the stimulation and normalization of online hatred is exactly what is happening right now.
Many people consciously seek for hate comments. They think it's funny to see a celebrity being put in place, or it makes them feel good, knowing they would never let themselves go like that.
"It gives us a sense of justice when we see a celebrity being bashed on." - Gaëlle Ouvrein, University of Antwerp.
To show how absurd it is that we use online hatred to entertain ourselves, I equated three haters with other creatives in the entertainment industry. Just as filmmakers have the Oscars and musicians have the Grammys, I designed The Holland Hate Awards for the haters.
Because if we enjoy their creations so much, they deserve a place in the spotlights too, right?
Or not? Hopefully this video got you thinking and now you want to do something to counteract the normalization and glorification of online hatred. Have a look at www.hollandhate.com for a list of things of what you can do, and and engage in a discussion on the complex topic.
Skills: (design) research, concept development, writing, graphic design, product design, video directing, video editing.
Videography: Stef Arends
The Right Words / 2018
Over the four years that I studied at the Willem de Kooning Academy, I always loved going to the toilet. It was a moment of peace, and never boring because there was always so much to read on the doors. Jokes, self promotion, statements, and above all a lot of emotional expression. Students trying to handle mental breakdowns, searching for support, or even suffering from depressions or eating disorders.
I found it striking that I read so much on the toilet doors, but barely talked about these topics with my classmates. Was the toilet the only place at school where we dared to express ourselves? anonymous? I decided to do some research about it and found out that due to the competitive atmosphere and common fear of failure, the Willem de Kooning Academy scored the worst in the field of mental health of all studies in Rotterdam.
In order to create an open and more honest atmosphere at school, I created The Right Words, a game which you can create poetry with, and that you can play together or alone. It lets you experience the benefits of poetry, and can open up a conversation when played together.
It’s not necessarily made in order to solve one anothers problems or feelings, or to make them go away, but as a tool that learns you how to handle and acknowledge them and turn them into something beautiful for a moment.
42 students from WDKA played The Right Words already, and you can read their 20 poems and different interpretations in the poetry bundle I created. It shows that there are always different ways to look at a situation, no matter how bad it seems sometimes. The accompanying photo series served as a conversation starter between me and the participants
Skills: (design) research, concept development, writing, graphic design, photography.
Duration of the project: 4 weeks