Woordenfeest

Concept
In response to this request, we developed the project Woordenfeest together with product designer Erik Stehmann. The assignment was to create a work that connects people in the neighborhood of Arnhem’s south side and to present the work in a public space. In our case: a wide green verge between two major roads. For our research, we talked to many different people on the street, meeting them at work, at home or during their daily activities such as walking their dog or visiting the market. After our research, we designed and created four big words: Hi, South, Growth, Together. For us, these words were a perfect symbol for the stories we collected.

What did we create?
Each word was made in a shape and material appropriate to the story. The word “Hi” was made in the shape of typical street benches. One of the things we often heard is that strangers greet each other kindly on the street. The benches provide opportunity for conversation. The word ‘Growth’ is about the many young families moving to this part of town and the new houses being built. We used a structure for the typography that plants can grow on and refer to building elements. The word ‘South’ is made of lots of happy lights and smiles in the design, this refers to the many happy stories we heard about the south of Arnhem. The word ‘Samen’ is about all the different people and cultures living together harmoniously in this part of town. We made huge colored, mirrored letters as a symbol of togetherness and in which you can reflect on yourself. It works a bit like a laughing mirror that you can play with either with people you know or complete strangers.

Sparkles
Many people enjoyed the artwork during the festival. It was a fun place for selfies and to chill with friends. The word “South” formed a nice greeting sign for the traffic passing by and it gave the public space a magical feeling in the dark.