A joint art project by VISTA college and the Bonnefanten Museum. Vocational students depict grief and loss.

Het leven is geen glitterpen, is een gezamenlijk kunstproject van VISTA college en het Bonnefanten over welzijn en rouwverwerking. Met steun van de gemeente Maastricht zetten de Centrale Studentenraad van VISTA college en het Bonnefanten een belangrijke stap om mentale gezondheid, zelfexpressie en maatschappelijke betrokkenheid van mbo-studenten te versterken.

Memory boxes together form a work of art
At the centre is a travelling art installation consisting of memory boxes, inspired by the work and exhibition A land as big as her skin by artist Mounira Al Solh, on display at the Bonnefanten. Students visited this presentation. A specially recorded video message from Al Solh formed the starting point for personal reflection.

The installation
Afterwards, approximately 170 students designed their own papier-mâché box, filled with text, symbolism and a small homemade clay figurine. All individual works are brought together in a wooden construction, designed and built by students from the Construction programme at VISTA College. The installation is a tangible representation of diverse life stories that together form a whole.

Art and culture essential for the well-being of vocational students
There is no structural place for cultural education within vocational education. Whereas art and culture are firmly established in secondary education, vocational students often have to make do without comparable offerings. Research shows that there is a great need for this: young people indicate that they want to be exposed to art and creative activities more, both for relaxation and to process personal experiences.

Revealing what usually remains hidden
Grief and loss are more common among young people than is apparent. The consequences range from loss of motivation and concentration problems to social withdrawal. Life is not a glitter pen creates a safe space in which students can reflect, share and give meaning to what they are going through through creative expression.

Header: students from VISTA in Elissa's room, Mounira Al Solh: A land as big as her skin. Photo: Mette Maesen