On Tuesday evening, a new exhibition opened at the TU Library. Called Op Kamers, the exhibition features a series of photographs of student rooms around the world taken by Dutch photographer Henny Boogert.
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The exhibition was launched by Marion Vredeling, the programme manager of the Library Learning Centre, following which Boogert walked the visitors to the exhibition area and talked about the story behind each photograph.
Boogert has taken photographs of student dorm rooms, hostels and study spaces in several countries including Kenya, India, Cuba, Philippines, Russia, Moldova, Bolivia, Hong Kong, Italy and the Netherlands. And he hopes to reach out to several more. “It started with a project I was doing for a children’s magazine here in the Netherlands and then I was invited to Moscow to take photographs of student rooms there,” says Boogert.
Each photograph is accompanied by a small story about the student’s life and how the student has organized and decorated the room. The exhibition is part of the ImagesConnect series, which is partly funded by the Dutch organisation NCDO, a knowledge centre on international topics.
The photographers’ subjects seem carefully chosen to highlight a contrast between socio-economic realities. While not accurately representative, they make for interesting viewing. The aim, he says on his website, is to highlight the similarities and differences in students around the world. “Students throughout the world fight for the same ideal: to move forward, to make a career,” he says.
A student room from one of TU Delft’s many student houses features in the exhibition as well. Earlier this year, Boogert photographed MSc graduate Jasper Bras in his room. “Of course I cleaned my room before he came!” says Bras, when it’s noted how clean the room seems to be for a student. “Henny also had his own vision of how to photograph the place, but I wanted to put my best foot forward,” he adds.
Bras, who just completed his masters in Urbanism, says over the years he has documented every student room he stayed in, and this seemed like a fitting project to be part of.
Also attending the event were representatives of the International Office and DUWO, who both sponsored the event.
The exhibition is on display from now until April 22 and can be viewed in the TU Delft Library. You can see more photos and information about the project at http://imagesconnect.org/.
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