In 2013 Codarts University of the Arts Rotterdam redesigned its mediatheque and commissioned me to add a desk design.

the design

My solution to the design was an abstract drawing, greatly enlarged in super high resolution (29630×16000 pixels) to be applied to the semi-round desk corner. The abstract objects in the drawing refer both to mediatheque items, such as books, cd’s and dvd’s, as well as to the perspective of developing knowledge, leaving open places to be filled individually. Next to these abstract items, the suggestion of music notation was used as well, after all, Codarts is a (Classical, Jazz and World music) conservatory, as well as a dance, circus and music theatre university. The shiny black background in combination with the perspective, all on a round corner, contribute to an anamorphotic perception.¹

Design intentions and realization

This work of art intends to visualize the following things:

1. To add a colorful accent to the otherwise gray desk by means of a black or indigo background on which forms in brighter colors appear;
2. To indicate a deeper inner world, the world of knowledge and imagination by means of a changed perspective;
3. To symbolize sources of knowledge and information by means of simple, quasi transparent colored shapes, consisting of simple lines, referring to the objects in the library as well as to a more digital reality, in which space has been left open intentionally between the symbols, indicating room for interpretation and development, as well as that knowledge and information can never be complete;²
4. In general, by means of the colors, to realize giving and enlarging rather than taking space.

The Codarts Mediatheek team chose my design by consensus, so I would like to take the opportunity to also thank them here, thanks again Erik Zwiep, Luuk Hoekstra, Timea Molnár and Jeltje Kingma!

©Oscar van Dillen

Gallery