Breaking the bubble in Buitenhof: TU student explores the connecting power of a mural
On September 16, Mayor Marja van Bijsterveld officially unveiled the new mural ‘Cherished,’ located on the apartment building at Haydnlaan in Buitenhof. TU student Virginia Facciotto conducted six months of research for her master’s ‘Design for Interaction,’ investigating the value of a mural for the neighborhood: “The mural can certainly contribute to a positive image of the area, but the full story needs to be told.”
By the full story, Virginia refers to the way the project came about. “In my research, it became clear that many people in Delft have a negative view of Buitenhof, even though many of them have never been there. The mural can act as a bridge between Buitenhof and the rest of Delft and can thus be a unifying factor. However, there are also people who think the mural was initiated by the municipality to cover up problems in the area. Some also don’t understand why money is being spent on art while, for instance, there is a massive housing shortage.”
Neighborhood residents design mural
“All these assumptions are based on prejudice and ignorance,” says Virginia. “The mural is the third edition of a truly local project, originally conceived by TU students and driven by the CANIDREAM foundation. ArtistBEYOND spoke with local residents and held multiple workshops to find out what people themselves would like to see on the side of the building. Through the question ‘What do you cherish?’, meaningful conversations emerged about what residents consider important.”
Breaking out of the student bubble in Buitenhof
For Virginia’s research, the collaboration between the artist and residents was very helpful. “I’m from Italy and don’t speak Dutch. By joining the sessions, it was easy to make contact. I feel privileged to have met so many new people. Throughout my research, it became clear how much people live in their own bubble, myself included, just like many other students. I found it valuable to step out of that bubble and talk to people I probably would never have met otherwise.”
The True Value of the Mural
By stepping out of her bubble, she realized that other people could do the same through the mural. She decided to connect visitors with local residents and designed an online game that people can ‘play’ on their phones while viewing the mural. “The prototype isn’t finished yet, but the idea is that local residents themselves tell, through the game, how a particular part of the mural came to be and what it means to them. By making it personal and letting a resident speak directly, there’s a greater chance that visitors will feel more empathy for the speaker and, as a result, for the artwork. In this way, they will come to understand the true value of the mural.”
Whether the game will actually be used is still uncertain. “I’m designing the prototype as my graduation project. After that, the knowledge and technology will be passed on to the CANIDREAM foundation. They will decide whether to implement it. The mural will eventually be part of an art route that runs through the entirecity of Delft. It would be great if this art route could connect people from different neighborhoods, and if my work could play a role in that.”
WIJStad connected Virginia Facciotto with CANIDREAM. Are you a student, teacher, or researcher alsointerested in local and impact-driven research? Then contact WIJStad
