The work of BK students in an exhibition about growth addiction

‘Doosmens’ (lit. box people, Eds.) is not the average Architecture and the Built Environment project but the artistic vision of TU Delft students Dina Al-Hamdany, Max Bernaerts and Elisa Heath. The three met on their course and discovered their mutual interest in art and culture outside architecture. They took it upon themselves to ‘enrich themselves culturally’ by doing things like visiting and reviewing interesting exhibitions. “And then we thought that we ourselves would really like to make something,” explains Bernaerts.

They heard about a film event in Rotterdam. The submission deadline was too tight, but it gave them the idea of looking for other cultural open calls which they could do. One of these was the De Lakenhal Museum in Leiden which called for pioneering, logical or quirky solutions to the tenacious need for faster, bigger and more – in other words, society’s addiction to growth.

Striking
They designed a draft concept and submitted it. Their expectations were not high, and certainly not when the jury announced that the selection procedure would take longer than planned because of the overwhelming number of submissions. They did not expect their very first joint artistic project to stand out. But it did. The jury selected their ‘Doosmens’ (see video) out of more than 500 submissions. Their work and another 14 works comprise the If things go wrong exhibition that will be displayed at the Museum in Leiden from Friday 15 October.

Escaping the pressure
Al-Hamdany, Heath and Bernaerts are naturally very proud, says Bernaerts. But more than that, they are interested in the reactions to ‘Doosmens’, their answer to the multitude of stimuli, obligations and concerns that course around the world around us. Bernaerts expects it to strike a chord with people, and certainly with students. “Many live under intense pressure which is virtually impossible to escape. You always feel the glare of the outside world which makes you feel a sort of shame or anxiety and want to take a time out or hide yourself away,” he explains.

In your own time
For those interested in the artistic vision of the three Architecture and the Built Environment students, the exhibition can be seen up to 20 February 2022 in the De Lakenhal Museum. The Museum also offers online inspiration (in Dutch) to tackle growth addiction, including an amusing If things go wrong Spotify playlist. So what will happen to the students who are now presenting themselves to the outside world under the name ‘uncultured’? Bernaerts is not sure. “In any case, we are doing our best to avoid the trap that we ourselves have identified. We had a busy summer working on ‘Doosmens’ and we are now working on our studies. We are doing everything in our own time. We do not want to feel too much pressure.”

• Exhibition If things go wrong, 15 October 2021 to 20 February 2022 in Museum De Lakenhal in Leiden.

Marieke Enter / Nieuwsredacteur