Admission Part B | Assignments

 

ASSIGNMENTS

The assignments can be used for any bachelor programme (Major) you apply for, and you can use any medium and technique you deem fit. At the same time, keep in mind that we need to see your interest and ability to think and create within the field of choice. (For example, moving image and sound for AV, 3D work for Product and Spatial Design, storytelling for Animation and Illustration etc.)  If you don’t show this in your portfolio, we would encourage you to make at least one of the two assignments more major specific.

We do not expect you to create “professional” products. These assignments are meant to get to know you better and see if you and the WdKA are a good fit. These assignments allow you to show us how you like to work and what fascinates and inspires you. We would like you to show us your personal approach to topics and ideas. We are interested in your view of things, how you work, develop your ideas and how you communicate through visual language. The process leading up to the result is just as important as the end result, so take the opportunity to dive deep into the creative process.

 

CREATIVE PROCESS

The creative process is the journey you take to reach your final work. What and who inspires you? How does that affect your work? Do you research specific subjects? Do you experiment with materials and techniques? Do you explore different ideas and try new approaches before reaching the final result? Do you think about what message your work should communicate? These are the kinds of questions to consider during the creative process. These are all examples of the creative process. Document this and take us on your creative journey!.

Tips and questions to ask yourself:

• Create a frame of reference: Gather inspiration. Look at other artists and designers. How do they approach specific subjects, techniques, materials etc.? Research the themes and subjects. Share this with us.
• Idea development: Can you come up with different ideas for the same assignment? Often, your first idea isn’t your best idea. Show us the different ideas/sketches/designs you have, even if you think they are bad or not interesting. Try to visualise an idea in different ways to see what kind of different results they generate and what works best.
• Experiment and vary: Experiment with different techniques, materials, proportions, mediums etc. Show us the results of these experiments, even if you are not happy with them or do not use them in the end.
• Step out of your comfort zone: If the works in your portfolio show a lot of similarity in styles, techniques, materials and topics, use these assignments to try something new. You can always go back to what you know and are already skillful at.
• Communicate and reflect: What do you want to communicate with your work? Can you make it stronger? Reflect on your work and make changes if necessary. If you are not happy with the result or a part of your process, can you explain why?

 

HOW TO PRESENT AND UPLOAD YOUR WORK 

Create a separate file for each of the assignments and include the end result and the process of assignment within this file. Put your full name and the name of the assignment in the title of the file.

Template: JANJANSEN_REBOOT.PDF

Max file size: 50 MB

Allowed file formats: PowerPoint or PDF.

VIDEO

If you made a video and you choose to upload your media to an external online platform (YouTube, Vimeo), make sure the link works, and that there is no password or expiration date. If we cannot access it, it will not be looked at and that specific assignment will not be assessed.

Keep in mind that the assessors have limited time and can’t view long videos, or a lot of different videos. If you want to showcase several videos or videos longer than 5 min, for instance when applying for Audio Visual Design or Animation, we advise you to create a trailer to give a compact overview of the video work. Also, this way you can direct the assessors to exactly what you want them to view, instead of the assessors scrolling through the videos and maybe missing the important parts.

WEBSITES

If you created an online environment for your assignments, please make sure you present every assignment with a direct link to the right page. The assessors will not search through websites.If you use online databases, please check all links work and redirect to where the assignment can be clearly recognised.

NOT ACCEPTED MEDIA

We do not accept: Google docs links, Dropbox links, dozens of separate images, Words files, files larger then 50MB, zipfiles, We Transfer links, or other ways that require a download of your work.

LANGUAGE

If you choose to use text, you can do so in Dutch or English.

ASSIGNMENTS

1.Reboot

We are mostly familiar with reboots from movies, where old classics are remade and adapted to modern times. Think of Leo DiCaprio in Romeo and Juliet, or the modern film adaptation of The Great Gatsby. But this principle is applicable to more disciplines than just films.

Choose a piece of art, architecture or design made before 1950 and create a reboot of this work.

Research as much as you can about this work through literature, interviews, reviews or other sources. Let this research and piece of art be the foundation for something new.

Create your own modern work based on the research of your chosen piece. Give us five variations and answer the following question. Which one is your favorite and why? You can use all types of techniques, materials and media (2D, 3D, clothing, moving image, performance etc.)

• Start with researching your chosen art piece.
• Visualise your ideas in different mediums, techniques, forms, materials etc.
• Make sure to document and share the steps in your process.
• Result: Five variations of a reboot of your chosen art piece

Questions you can ask yourself during the process: What is the meaning and purpose of this work? Is there a message behind it? Was there a certain methodology or ideology behind it? Was there a specific technique used in the original work? What was the effect of this piece on its surroundings? Do you have to use the same medium or can you use a different one? What is your perspective on the work? Can you turn a 2D work into a 3D work or moving image and the other way around? How do you make it fitting for the time we live in?

You can take inspiration from: all disciplines of art, design and architecture, advertising etc.

 

2.Poem

Poems are also referred to as written art. They come in many forms and cover a wide variety of topics.

Choose a poem and create a visual work based on this poem.

Research your chosen poem. Do the words have literal meaning or are they symbolic? Is the poem open for interpretation and can you give it a personal meaning? We want to challenge you to go beyond the literal. Create a visual interpretation and/or a visual reaction to the poem. Give us five variations and answer the following question. Which one is your favorite and why? You can use all types of techniques, materials and media (2D, 3D, clothing, moving image, performance etc.)

• Research the meaning of your chosen poem.
• Visualise your ideas in different mediums, techniques, forms, materials etc.
• Make sure to document and share the steps in your process.
• Result: Five different visualisations of your chosen poem.

Questions you can ask yourself during the process: What is the meaning and purpose of this work? Is there a message behind it? Is the text literal or symbolic? What is your interpretation of the poem? Can you visualise the poem in different materials and techniques? Does it have to be figurative, or can it be abstract?  What does this poem evoke in you? Why did you choose this poem?

You can take inspiration from: all disciplines of art, design and architecture, advertising etc.

3. Thingness

All things have physical qualities and properties. Everything around us has a color, texture, shine, dullness, materiality, weight, size, smell, touch, hardness, meaning, function, sense, value, etc.

What would you come up with if you took specific qualities and properties of items and combined these into a new ‘thing’? What would be the function? What happens when you use this new thing? Is it practical or not? Is it real or fictional? Can you give the new thing meaning and purpose? Experiment a lot and try out different things!

Create a new thing based on your research of the “thingness” of three found things.

Note: We are not asking you to create a new thing made of the three chosen things. We ask you to create a new thing made up of the qualities/ properties of the three chosen things.

For example: a sponge; it is soft, it absorbs & retains fluids, you can squeeze it, it releases fluids, it’s yellow, it’s airy, etc. – experiment with these properties to create something new.

• Take three things and analyze their ‘thingness.’ Document this in pictures, drawings, film, models, samples, soundscapes etc.
• Experiment with the qualities and properties of the chosen things. What do these properties mean and how can you give form to them?
• Then use the physical qualities you find in your ‘things’ to create one new ‘thing’.
• Document and name your new thing and its function in the right environment. You can make drawings, photos, video etc.
• Make sure to document and share the steps in your process.
• Result: Your new thing, with its own name, placed where it belongs. 

Questions you can ask yourself during the process: Which qualities do I find appealing and why? Which qualities don’t I like and why? Does it have to be functional? Can I design more than one thing with the qualities you work with? Does it have to be realistic, or can it be fantastical?

You can take inspiration from: biology, nature, technology, materials, product and fashion design, food, etc.

4.Activism

We live in a turbulent world with constant societal and cultural developments. Research a topic in which you wish to see change. What is it you don’t agree with or support?

Visualise your voice on this topic in a way you deem fit.

What don’t you like about this topic and what would you like to see differently? What do you think needs to happen in order for it to change? Why is this subject important to you? This could be a larger societal topic, but also a personal local topic. Any topic is valid (within respectable boundaries*) as long as you feel it needs to change. You can choose in what form your activism takes shape. This could be in the form of a protest, creating awareness or looking for solutions. Just make sure your perspective on the topic is clearly communicated. You can use all types of techniques, materials and media (2D, 3D, clothing, moving image, performance etc.)

• Research your chosen topic. What don’t you like about it? What would you like to see differently or raise more awareness for?
• React to the topic and visualise this. Can you do this in different ways?
• Think about what you want to communicate with the work. Where does it need to be shown and seen?
• Make sure to document and share the steps in your process.
• Result: A visual reaction to something you don’t agree with.

Questions you can ask yourself during the process: What subjects and topics are important to you? How do they impact you and your environment? How would your work change the perspective of others? What does activism mean to you? What types of activism are there? What do you want to raise awareness for and how do you want to engage and activate your audience? How can your audience understand/ feel why you do not agree with what is happening? What do you wish to achieve with your activism?

You can take inspiration from: all disciplines of art, design and architecture, advertising, sociology, philosophy, psychology, current affairs, technology.

*We do not accept racism, discrimination, violence or any form of hate speech.

5. Me, myself and others.

Who am I? Who are you? How do you relate to the rest of the world? How do we know who we are? How do we view ourselves and what do we think about ourselves? These are some of the bigger life questions we all ask ourselves at some point in our lives.

Create a trilogy about who you are and want to be:

• Part 1 – How do you relate to yourself? What is your image of yourself? Who do you think you are? Who and what do you see when you look in the mirror? Visualise who you are. Give us a visual expression of your personality/identity.
• Part 2 – How do you relate to others? What does your social circle say about you – the people you spend time with and whom you like to surround yourself with? Look at your (chosen) family and visualise what this group of people says about you. What do you learn about yourself from the people you spend time with?
• Part 3 – How do you relate to the image you wish to be? Who do you want to be or become? How do you want to view yourself in ten years’ time? How do you want other people to perceive you? Provide a visual expression of this image.

We are not asking for self-portraits. We want to see a visual expression of your personality/ identity.  Do you choose to use to make all three pieces in the same technique and medium or is it better suitable to use three different types of techniques and mediums? You can use all types of techniques, materials and media (2D, 3D, clothing, moving image, performance etc.)

• Start with researching yourself, your social circles and your ideal image of self. Look at other artists and how they approach and visualise the topic of self.
• Visualise your ideas in different mediums, techniques, forms, materials etc.
• Think about what you want to communicate with the trilogy.
• Make sure to document and share the steps in your process.
• Result: a visual trilogy about yourself.

Questions you can ask yourself during the process: What characterises you? Is it internal or external? What different sides and expressions do you have? What does your environment say about you? Can you show beliefs, characteristics, opinions and interests? How do you visualise yourself in a non-literal way? How do other artists and designers approach this topic? Does the work have to be 2D or can it be 3D, also using sound, moving image, installation etc.?

You can take inspiration from: all disciplines of art, design and architecture, advertising, sociology, philosophy, psychology, literature, fiction, technology

6.Add-on 

In our modern-day life, there are all sorts of various kinds of gadgets, tools and applications that make our lives easier, more efficient, or simply just more fun.

We would like you to design and develop an add-on. Something that will enable a person to do something that would be impossible to do without this add-on. This can be an artificial body part, or an add-on in a space or on an object. Anything that creates an enhancement to human lives. It can be something organic, physical, mechanical, digital, or virtual. Everything goes. You can either make this add-on or visualise it in any other way.

• Start with research. What kind of add-ons are there?
• Make use of various materials. Be innovative and daring in your execution.
• Make sure to document and share the steps of your process.
• Result: A visualisation of your add-on.

Questions you can ask yourself during the process: What value do I add? What would add value to life? What is the function of the body, or a specific part? How does the body relate to the world? What am I missing in the world? What capabilities and skills would I like to access? What would make the world a better place? What would make life easier?

You can take inspiration from: technology, science fiction, virtual reality, biology, nature, medicine, design, philosophy etc.

Note: Beware of ableism, and how differently abled bodied people navigate the world. They might also not primarily see their bodies as needing an add-on.

DUAL DEGREE ASSIGNMENTS

Choose 1 of the 6 general assignments above and 1 of the 2 special Dual Degree assignments below.

DD1.   Look at the world

There is a lot happening in the world. From the political to the cultural, all of these are a part of societal issues.

Carry out research into a societal subject that piques your interest. Create an art or design work, based on the results of that research.

The form you choose is up to you: for example, you can create a design work that addresses a societal issue to create awareness or as an act of protest. You could make an investigative documentary or photo report.  You could create an artwork that provides a critical perspective.

• Start with artistic research. What is your research question? Which sources are you going to use?Show us that you can critically analyse a societal issue.
• Problems generally aren’t solved by confining yourself to the safe space of your room and computer. You need to get out there and engage with people to influence an issue.
• Document and visualise. Show us what your ideas about the world are. Document them in an attractive manner to show us what actions you have carried out.
• Result: Piece of art or design based on your research into a societal topic.

 

DD2.   Curator

A curator is someone who designs exhibitions and decides what will be displayed. Sometimes, an exhibition is made up of works from one artist and that artist is the subject. However, there are also many exhibitions in which works of different artists are gathered together because of an overarching theme, subject or perspective.

Choose five to ten pieces of art/design/architecture (from other artists) based on a personal chosen theme, or subject for a hypothetical exhibition. Then create a piece of work you can add to this exhibition.

What is your topic for this exhibition and what story do you want to tell with it? Show us your personal perspective in this exhibition. Think about how your work will fit within the exhibition. Write a short introduction explaining the exhibition and your choice for it. You can use all types of techniques, materials and media (2D, 3D, clothing, moving image, performance etc.)

• Start with artistic research. What is your research question? Which artist and works fit within this framework and why?
• Create your own work that fits within the exhibition.
• Write a short introduction explaining the exhibition and your choice for it.
• Make sure to document and share the steps in your process.
• Result: Your own curated hypothetical exhibition including your own work.