Breaking the bubble in Buitenhof: TU studentexplores the connecting power of a mural
On September 16, Mayor Marja van Bijsterveld officially unveiled the new mural ‘Cherished,’ located on theapartment building at Haydnlaan in Buitenhof. TU student Virginia Facciotto conducted six months of researchfor her master’s ‘Design for Interaction,’ investigating the value of a mural for the neighborhood: “The muralcan 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 manypeople in Delft have a negative view of Buitenhof, even though many of them have never been there. Themural 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 housingshortage.”
Neighborhood residents design mural
“All these assumptions are based on prejudice and ignorance,” says Virginia. “The mural is the third edition ofa 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 wouldlike to see on the side of the building. Through the question ‘What do you cherish?’, meaningful conversationsemerged 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 anddon’t speak Dutch. By joining the sessions, it was easy to make contact. I feel privileged to have met so manynew people. Throughout my research, it became clear how much people live in their own bubble, myselfincluded, just like many other students. I found it valuable to step out of that bubble and talk to people Iprobably 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. Shedecided to connect visitors with local residents and designed an online game that people can ‘play’ on theirphones while viewing the mural. “The prototype isn’t finished yet, but the idea is that local residentsthemselves 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 moreempathy for the speaker and, as a result, for the artwork. In this way, they will come to understand the truevalue of the mural.”
Whether the game will actually be used is still uncertain. “I’m designing the prototype as my graduationproject. After that, the knowledge and technology will be passed on to the CANIDREAM foundation. They willdecide 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 mywork 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
