Poor Things took me 2.5 years to work on, with a subject based on the duality of life and the infamous Jungian archetypes. An image of small, pitiful figures in search of meaning. The human element made room for absurdity.
While painting the work, I took photographs to keep track of my artistic choices.
(Poor Things, acrylic paint, canvas, 120 x 70 cm. 2024.)
The department Staff Office Computing & Information Services asked me to make a short animation video for a festive unveiling. On the 25th of January 2022, a new contract for a digital assessment system for Hanze University was signed by Petra Smeets, a member of The Executive Board. With this signature, the implementation process of this new testing system formally starts.
Curious about the result and the new supplier?
‘Untitled’ (Video Collage).
Music produced by Thomas, one of the residents.
In September, I started working at Stichting De Vrolijkheid, in the asylum seekers’ center in Drachten. As a workshop supervisor, I wanted to introduce the children to film, its techniques, and the meaning of the movement of objects.
Thanks to the children of the asylum seekers’ center in Drachten, I created a small video montage at Stichting De Vrolijkheid. The film projection was shown in the open air to the residents during this festive evening of the 11th of November – one to never forget.
Song: ‘Karma Police’, Radiohead.
A short video about the effects of isolation.
With the live-action video Nocturne, I used different materials to create a personal narrative and an intuitive approach. The film contains handmade puppets and was part of an installation of my graduation project. The project was about the energetic nightlife and its gloomy appearance.
The fact I met horrible men who wanted to take advantage of me has made me realize the harsh, dark reality and our lavish imagination.
Song: ‘Drag Queen’, The Strokes.
In the summer of 2016, I listened to this song for the first time. The lyrics made me think about transgender people. When you feel like your body doesn’t belong to you, it’s the worst thing that could ever happen. Some drag queens love to entertain and are great performers at night. But there are also a few individuals who want to change to the opposite sex and endure psychological struggles to find acceptance. I feel like it’s a forgotten group in society. Or they suddenly appear in the news when we protest for gay rights. Because sadly, it isn’t accepted by everyone in this world yet. I can only say, the song makes me want to break free of the basic standards.
“What the mass media offers is not popular art, but entertainment which is intended to be consumed like food, forgotten, and replaced by a new dish.” ― W.H. Auden, The Dyer’s Hand
Willemijn Rog 