Omia entrance. Photo Petra Appelhof The much-discussed wall of portraits in Omia is to undergo a metamorphosis. The revamped wall of fame will express the diversity of WUR employees through a range of videos.
The current wall has been criticised mainly for the fact that the portraits exclusively depict white men. ‘That is something I can not solve, but what I can do is show how diverse the campus currently is’, says creative thinker and film director in training Giacomo Sardonini. Following a crowd-sourcing process through which creative minds could submit and pitch their ideas, this idea was chosen as the winner by the Portrait Gallery workgroup.
‘The moving paintings in Harry Potter formed the inspiration for my idea’, Sardonini says. In his concept, the portraits of the former rectors will remain on display, but with the addition of several frames in which short videos are projected. ‘The videos will be edited to resemble moving paintings.’
Spying
WUR employees will feature in the video fragments. ‘I will spy on people, with permission, of course, as a cameraman. I want viewers to feel as if they are afforded a glimpse into the protagonists’ work or life on the campus.’ Sardonini does not want the “usual suspects” on camera. ‘So, not just unit managers and board members, but students, groundskeepers and IT specialists, for example.’
Moreover, the clips are not meant to be used for commercial or promotional purposes. ‘It is not about the specific person but about the function of that person’s work within the WUR community at large.’ Hence, he is not looking for the best barista on the campus but ‘any barista’ to show that they have an important job on the campus. The video clips will not show any identifiable faces. ‘I don’t want to exclude anyone, and, therefore, I will not include anyone. I will not use any type of filter for my selection; I will show everyone I run into.’
Technical details
He is currently considering the technical details of his idea. Whether the new frames will de digital projections or screens has yet to be decided, for example. ‘A screen emits light, while you see reflected light when you look at paintings. The new frames should become one with the old.’
If it were up to Sardonini, a camera would even be added to ‘spy’ on visitors of the portrait gallery, which then projects the images in one of the frames. ‘However, that is a rather wild idea and expensive to boot, so I don’t know if it is feasible.’
The wall of fame in its current form – with only men- is considered outdated last year showed. A workgroup was formed to investigate modernising the portrait gallery. They invited artists and other creative thinkers to develop a new concept for the gallery, expressing the link between the past, the present and the future. The various ideas were pitched at the end of May. The idea presented by creative thinker and film director in training Giacomo Sardonini, with the projections of the present atmosphere on the campus, was chosen as the winner.
Extras
Sardonini is seeking extras for the videos in the new portrait gallery. People from WUR willing to show their undiscovered treasures of the WUR campus.
Sardonini:
‘As part of the new concept for the Omnia wall of fame, I invite you to share poetic, authentic and personal experiences in your daily life on campus. What small things such as scents, trees or hidden spots on the campus do you like? It may be the moment the sun’s rays enter the lab, a member of the cleaning staff with a lovely attitude, your favourite spot for chilling or studying or the fascinating view of a building. I am looking for anything that uniquely connects you to WUR.’
‘Send a short e-mail describing the location, time, story and what it means to you with “Omnia wall submission” in the subject line. You could also plan a small tour where you show me how that situation enriches the campus.’
‘A small disclaimer: I may not be able to answer or record all requests and suggestions, but please do not hesitate to submit them. Your stories are greatly appreciated and serve to expand my knowledge of WUR.’
