Coming soon!
Initiated by and in collaboration with MOAM
Do you you make use of the internet? Are you online regularly? The
answers on these questions are probably common sense to you: yes,
of course you make use of the internet. However, you probably
didn’t realise yet that this makes you a netizen. Netizen is an
existing word meaning ‘citizen of the net’.
The Netizen Observer is a youtube channel exploring human
behaviour in the digital realm. The short video series published
on this platform aim to investigate, collect and question our
online lives. Most of us live part-time digitally. Some of us
spend even more time online than offline. What are we doing
online? What do we show? And more importantly: how does our time
online affect our everyday lives?
Self-initiated project / ongoing / visit the Netizen Observer on YouTube to see all video works.
Classic cabinets of curiosities (or kunstkabinett,
rariteitenkabinet) are collections of rare objects, oddities and
art. Cabinets of Curiosities can be seen as small museums.
Inspired by such collections, I started my own: a digital one.
Digital Cabinet of Curiosities is a video series collecting
anything remarkable people share online. Every episode is a tiny
investigation on what people show and how they communicate on
social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Twitter,
SnapChat and YouTube.
Self-initiated project / ongoing / visit the Netizen Observer on YouTube to see all video works.
Online people mostly share their successes. Failures aren’t shared
publicly online. They aren’t pretty. I face successes ánd failures
on a weekly basis. It can be difficult to find your position in
society after graduating. Especially in the creative realm clients
assume you’re willing to work for free, they have nog budget or
have many applicants to choose from.
This results in receiving a ‘no’ from time to time. Such
rejections are part of our (professional) lives, a part that we
shouldn’t be ashamed of. Rejection letters are annoying to receive
as it can be frustrating to have others deciding for you. At the
same time, a good ‘no’ can help us reflect upon the path we’re
taking and even guide us into the right direction.
Rejection Collection is a video series containing rejections I’ve
received when starting my professional life. Rejection letters are
often awkward, impersonal and formal. This series shows that,
indeed they are awkward, but it is normal to receive them.
Self-initiated project / ongoing / visit the Netizen Observer on YouTube to see all video works.
My Daily Shot of Culture is a startup vlogging about cultural events. To celebrate their growing platform, 3 years of existence, and a new brand identity they organised a party. Together with Sabine van der Vooren I came up with 3 teasing videos to communicate these happenings on social media. Each video gave a way a hint for the announcements to come.
The videos were published all social media channels of My Daily Shot of Culture.
This project is an experimental try-out as a continuation of my MA project called Instaturgy. As an attempt to continue my research I started to collect more thoughts on how people experience Instagram. The idea was to make an Instagram podcast about Instagram and published on Instagram. I would shortly interview Instagram users. Each question would be an Instagram-post. This way the whole Instagram account would be a podcast-page to be explored. I started doing this, but never continued. However, I like the format and idea. Besides, I think it was an interesting experiment that perhaps could be developed further in the future.
Self-initiated project / I have posted these podcast-posts on an Instagram account I made for my graduation project. During Dutch Design Week 2019 I shared some of the interviews.
Instaturgy (instagram + dramaturgy) is an one minute video series
investigating the relationship between Instagram and theatre. I
started to see instagram as a stage, with users as the writer,
editor, director, set designer and actor of their own story.
However, one role seems to be missing: the dramaturg. In the
theatre, the dramaturg looks at a performance as if being the
first audience. Questioning how all aspects of the performance
work together, and how an audience would perceive it. Instagram
users seem to have a difficulty reflecting upon their own show.
Therefore, this project takes in the position of a dramaturg.
Instaturgy is a video series questioning the dramaturgy of
Instagram by deconstructing an Instagram profile. With a little
help of users explaining how to deal with a specific part of the
platform, Someone applies Instagram behavior in our actual,
offline lives. Because, well, Instagram might be an online
platform, it definitely has a strong influence on our everyday
lives. What if our insta-actions were to spill out into our
offline existence?
The 1-minute video series consists out of 7 episodes, all
representing another element of Instagram such as hashtag, theme
and bio. The episode #profilepicture can be seen on this page.
MA graduation project / Instaturgy was on show during Dutch Design Week 2019 as part of the Graduation Show of Design Academy Eindhoven.
One day I met a girl. Somehow I saw her Instagram profile before
physically meeting her. Offline, she wasn’t fulfilling the
expectations I had based on her Instagram profile. To me, this was
very confusing and awkward. It was one of the first moments I
realised how fluid the line between our online and offline lives
actually is.
Social media platforms are integrated in our daily lives. One of
the most popular platforms in use (at the moment of writing my
thesis) is Instagram: a mobile app to share photos. On the app
people showcase parts of their lives. The visual app empowers
people to control every detail of the story they tell about
themselves. At the same time, people use there real names and
share actual daily activities. It is difficult to distinct fiction
from reality on an instagram profile.
It is the performative aspect of Instagram that took my attention.
People tend to show specific angles of their face, seek
instagram-worthy moments and manipulate their everyday lives so
that it fits their online impression management.
In my thesis I approach Instagram as ‘the Desired World,’ the
protagonist goes on a journey exploring what the Desired World is
like, how stories are built-up and why people desire to be part of
it. The story of the play follows a classical storyline: the 12
steps of the Hero’s Journey. The book itself can be read in two
ways. On the left page the play can be read. On the right page
you’ll find dramaturgical notes full of comments and references.
MA graduation project / Instaturgy was on show during Dutch Design Week 2019 as part of the Graduation Show of Design Academy Eindhoven.
This project is in collaboration with Gijs de Boer and Alex
Blondeau. Based on the ‘Were you good today?’ interviews designed
for subtly bad behavior, to make it acceptable, so you don’t feel
the need to project it onto other people. Products designed for
the other in ourselves.
Looking back into the subconscious wrongdoings our interviewees
confessed upon, we decided to build objects that encouraged bad
behaviour. We designed a series of three objects, a series which
is specially made to be used inside the walls of the Design
Academy considering we used these grounds as our research base.
Instead of feeling guilty when being a little bad, we design a
situation that supports you. We think that design could help us to
accept our subtle sins, the hidden other in us. And thus prevent
us to project it onto other people. We think that accepting our
tiny daily bad habits could be a start to eventually overcome
othering.
Work Nap Pillow: In this academy you feel like you have to work.
But sometimes you're too tired and try to secretly take a nap. We
designed a pillow for that.
One Suit Fits All: In an art school clothes allow you to express
yourself, but also invite judgement, so sometimes you just want to
blend in. We designed a suit for that.
Under Cover Desk: After an intense meeting you sometimes need
distraction. But hopefully nobody notices you're on social media.
We designed a desk device for that.
This project was initiated by Hague Thinking and Design Academy Eindhoven. The project was on show during the Overturning Othering exhibition in the Hague, Dutch Design Week Eindhoven 2018 and was part of an intern exhibition at the Special Tribunal for Libanon.
This project is part of the project (No) Other Self and is in
collaboration with Gijs de Boer and Alex Blondeau. Othering is a
process where we come to see other people as less human. It is the
''we'' versus ''them'' thinking. We tried to understand the
phenomenon of othering. Often we point at others: they are
different from us. Also in a context of overcoming othering we
point at the other: look, they are similar to us.
We decided to come up with another approach: find the other in
ourselves. We think that, when we exclude others, we point at
their bad traits. But in fact, these are projected bad traits of
our own. We are pointing indirectly at (an other in) ourselves.
To overcome othering, we have to own up to this hidden other in
us. We came up with two ways to do so. The first way we did this
was by doing interviews with a single question. We ask you how
good you were today, to find the subtle sins you forgot. Most
people gave themselves around 70%, and started to justify why they
didn’t consider themselves a 100% good. We made videos of some of
the interviews, which can be seen above. Besides, we designed
objects based on these interviews. To see those, have a look at
the project called ‘(no) other self’.
This project was initiated by Hague Thinking and Design Academy Eindhoven. The project was on show during the Overturning Othering exhibition in the Hague, Dutch Design Week Eindhoven 2018 and was part of an intern exhibition at the Special Tribunal for Libanon.
As part of a workshop in collaboration with NOOR, we (our master
department) had the opportunity to work with NOOR’s photo archive.
This visual reader is made in collaboration with Nejma Boussaïd.
How do you read a journalistic photograph? This visual reader is
an attempt to question the way we perceive journalistic
photographs, and how easily we miss context. This visual reader
explores images of the Yemeni Revolution by Yuri Kozyrev that were
taken in May 2011. How do we look at such photographs from a
western perspective? And most importantly, what is it that we
don’t see?
There are many things we don’t know. Often we are not able to read
an image correctly. Simply because of the context that we’re
lacking. By introducing a photograph by description and asking
questions about the context of the photograph before actually
showing the image itself, we hope to raise awareness of how
important it is for photographs to be contextualised.
The project was presented at NOOR.
On a daily basis we get in touch with many services who all
collect and store our personal information. What they collect and
why is written in their privacy policies. Texts casually published
on websites that nobody ever reads.
I decided to read the privacy policies of two influential
companies that are part of my everyday life: Facebook and Google.
Both entering my living room day after day. After carefully
reading their policies I decided to compile and edit them by
making two changes.
The policies are written in first person. They write on behalf of
the whole company, saying: ‘we’. I changed the pronoun to ‘you’.
So that you would read: ''Welcome to your Privacy Policy.''
Instead of: ''Welcome to our Privacy Policy.'' Secondly, I rewrote
their policies into a poetry format. Poetry is a genre that
requires some effort and time, whilst policies are the exact
opposite: they aren’t read with attention - they often aren’t read
at all. Two small changes to give insight in what a privacy policy
contains and, maybe even more important, what it doesn't say.
A small edition could be purchased at de Boekenbar Utrecht.
Beanie Babies were introduced in the 90s by Ty Inc., an American company named after Ty Warner. These stuffed animals turned into a trading hype. Eventually traders got so obsessed with (rare) Beanie Babies that the hype turned into a financial bubble. This video explains in 3 minutes what a financial bubble is and how these can be recognised, with Beanie Babies as an example.
The video is based on a true story.
The Ministry of Finance The Hague introduced a project that aimed
to question the stereotyping of civil servants. I was invited to
interview 5 civil servants, all representing a different
department within the ministry. These conversations were about
their function and thoughts on what a typical civil servant is
like. Besides, I focussed on other parts of the conversations such
as the way they took control over the talk and how they
(sometimes) not really answered my question.
By comparing these 5 conversations with each other, I could
formulate a stereotype created by the civil servants themselves. I
also added some observations I did myself and compared these with
the expectations I had before I started the interviews. I worked
with circle diagrams to visualise all these thoughts and
discoveries. Apart from the diagrams, I combined pictures I took
during the interview-days with quotes I considered to be
remarkable. On top of that, I visualized the structure of each
conversation based on the way I experienced it.
Project initiated and coordination by Bregje Jansen & Samir Aiddouch, Stagiairs MinFin Kunstcommissie, February-June 2017. This project was on show during an internal-exhibition that came with a publication.
To make people experience how they create a first impression of
someone, I came up with a tiny game to test this. Is it possible
to know with who you are dealing with within a few seconds? Do we
miss many interesting meetings by stereotyping? Shortly: are first
impressions usable?
It is a simple way to make people realise how fast they judge. It
is a light and playful way to start a conversation about
prejudices and stereotyping. Besides, it gives more inside in our
own associations and structures that influences our thinking. This
workshop explores a bit more in-depth our thinking structures
compared to the First Impression To go Installation, as it takes
more effort of the participant: they don't only receive a first
impression, but are also asked to give one away themselves.
Part of BA graduation project / The workshop was given a few times during Dutch Design Week 2016, at the exhibition 'Hier is Utrecht', as a part of Design Perron.
Have you ever directly shared your first impression when meeting
someone new? Do you judge strangers when you’re in a bad mood?
Have you ever hurried for a train judging anybody who’s in your
way?
We all have assumptions when meeting someone new. We expect them
to like certain things, behave in a certain way, and so on. It is
human to have these thoughts. However, we aren’t always aware of
the prejudices popping up in our brains. Sometimes we
(unconsciously) assume instead of asking.
How to start a conversation about prejudices and first
impressions? To explore this question, I decided to give away my
first impressions of others. I ask passengers if they are
interested in receiving a first impression to go. If so, I write
down what I see (changeable aspects of their appearance) and think
(my first thoughts I have about them). Afterwards, I ask them
whether they agree or not.
Having open conversations about how someone appears to you - and
vice versa - can help to better understand each other. It feels
vulnerable and can be confronting to hear assumptions people have
about you. However, I discovered many people are interested to
learn how they are perceived by others. After giving away hundreds
of first impressions, I can confirm that it definitely made me
more aware of stereotypes I hold onto in my thoughts. Above all, I
learned how such an tiny open conversation makes me feel more
connected to both strangers and people around me.
Every now and then the First Impression To Go Installation can
still be found on festivals and other events to give their
visitors an interesting and fun experience. Don't hesitate to
contact me by interest.
Part of BA graduation project / Photos are taken by Lief Festival. / This project was on show during several events at Stadskantoor Utrecht, Gemeente Utrecht, Hogeschool Utrecht, Young Art Festival 2016, Lief Festival 2017, and more.
One day a colleague expressed a highly specific prejudice with me:
he assumed that I only drink free mint tea. I told him that I am
into many other flavours as well. His reaction: 'Oh, in that case
you are definitely a latte-macchiato type of girl.' I was
surprised that he sounded so sure of himself. This small
conversation made me think about the way I categorise other people
in a similar way. I also started to wonder whether others
associate my appearance with fresh mint tea as well. I started to
question the thoughts of my colleague; was he conscious about the
assumptions he had of others?
Our own perception is not the only one. We easily forget that
there are many more point of views. Besides, many people do not
even realise that they have these 'quick thoughts' about others.
What are first impressions based on? I tried to get answers
through several experiments. My findings, outcomes and thoughts
can be read in the book I made: Why My Colleague Thinks I only
Drink Fresh Mint Tea.
BA graduation project / This project as on show during the HKU Graduation Show and Dutch Design Week 2016
With some fellow students I developed an audio tour for Unieboek
Spectrum, a publishing company. Today there is a lot changing in
the way we make things public; Unieboek Spectrum felt this as
well. Not only they felt that ‘things are changing’, they mainly
realised their position is changing because of their turnover. I
collaborated with 3 fellow students: Nadine van der Bijl, Twan
Eshuis and Job van Rijn. We were asked to create ‘something’ as an
answer on the following question: What is our position in the
present society? Soon we concluded this question was way to big to
answer in 3 months. Therefore we decided to look for a smaller
question: ‘the question behind the question’.
To understand this publishing company we attended several meetings
and we made observations: writings, photo’s and short films of the
building. We got fascinated by their working ‘habitat’ and we
found out they had all their own rhythm. We came to think that the
‘answer’ on their question wasn’t too far away: maybe the 'answer'
to our question could be found in their work-mentality and way of
working.
They all loved books and most of them were with the company for
years. We realized they couldn’t see the building (full of books
and habits) the way we did, as young students visiting the company
for the first time.
We decided to find another way to experience a story. To present
our creative process and thoughts during these 3 months, we
developed an audio tour to guide them through their own work
places. We shared our thoughts and and all things we found
remarkable and interesting. This way we aimed to remind them of
all the fascinating things they are surrounded by, but also to
challenge them to look at their own workspace and habits in
another way - and maybe even question what they see. This, in
order to eventually answer their big question: who are they as a
publishing company today?
This project was presented to employers of Unieboek Spectrum.
To fight my jealousy of people who don’t need much sleep (see
project: I Am Asleep Already), I decided to make a sleeping coat.
This coat allows you to nap anywhere. Could such a sleeping habit
make us more efficient? Would we be able to do more in a day?
The video on this page shows the sleeping coat. The 2 final videos
I made can be seen on request. A glimpse of those videos can be
seen on the two images of the research booklet I designed for this
project.
This project as exhibited at Konstfack (Stockholm) and Academiegalerie Utrecht.
Some people don't need much sleep. They have time and energy for
everything: work, travelling, socialising. For me, this is
different. I am at my best after 8-9 hours of sleep. Choosing for
sleep means missing many other things.
From time to time we deny our need for sleep. There is simply ‘no
time’ for it. At times we frequently work for many hours and only
sleep for a few, usually not enough to wake up well rested. We
wish there would be more hours in a day.
What if we could replace sleep? What if we do not need it anymore?
Or what if we could easily charge ourselves at any given time?
Technology as an extension of the human body to let our biological
shortcomings disappear. Do we want that? If technology makes it
possible for us to stay awake forever, are we allowed to say ‘no’?
Will our days never end? Avoiding and denying sleep, as if it is a
trend. Are we all part of a trend we never thought could exist?
This project is a result of my jealousy of people who seem to be
able to do it all. I visualised the dilemma whether you should
sleep or stay awake. The project consists out of several short
video’s (see project: the Sleeper) and 3 illustration books in
which I share my thoughts on sleep and how I sometimes wish I
would need less.
This project as exhibited at Konstfack (Stockholm) and Academiegalerie Utrecht.
What is privacy? What is it based on? When I go out to buy underwear, the particular piece hasn't touched a behind yet. A fresh product, often made out of cotton, should be an unattached piece.You almost feel naked while buying some new fabrics to cover your genitals, because now the cashier knows what you are hiding underneath your clothes. From correcting underwear to all kinds of unveiling strings.When I buy new panties, start to wear them and wash them using my favourite washing powder, it really becomes a loaded object. Underwear, is meant to be hidden in a clothes drawer or underneath your clothes. I took photo's of all the underwear we had at home, at that moment, we had 93 pieces. I made the underwear of my family public without informing them.
This project was made at the Fine Art department of AKV. St. Joost.
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