Ignas van Rijckevorsel

VAV- moving image, Graduation Year

1. What are you currently working on?

“Quarantining on the Icelandic island of Hrísey, the snow has fallen up to 2 metres thick. Using a shovel, I made a large sculpture out of snow. It is tall enough to reach to the top of my head and wide enough to surround me whilst I stand inside. I made this work in relation to a large 3D printed sculpture I’m planning for my graduation work. I had previously made shapes like this one from clay, on a much smaller scale. The thick snow was a perfect material to make a similar shape on a 1:1 scale. I wanted to see how it would feel to physically inhabit a shape like the ones I’d been making from clay. The snow sculpture began as a sketch, but aside from its function as such, the sculpture took on its own characteristics and the snow began to melt.“

2. What has changed for you now that the Rietveld buildings are closed for classes and meetings?

“Most noticeably, contact with my class. I miss being together in the studio and sharing a social dynamic. My favourite thing about Rietveld is the community and the high level of social contact. Of course, limited social contact counts for everyone in these times, but I feel that not having the responsibility towards your classmates/teachers to turn up to school every day, distances me from feeling like I attend an academy.”

3. And what is staying the same?

“I mostly work from my computer. The practical work that I would do without my computer like clay sculpting, or filming, I can do unrestricted outside of the academy. Video-calling teachers is not an issue and I’ve had some productive talks with them about my projects.”

4. Do you have a tip for our students, staff or alumni to make these isolating times a little bit more joyful?

“Binge watching Werner Herzog films is a good distraction, ‘The White Diamond’ is one of my faves.”

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