This is the artwork on the front cover of Taboo. It's a linocut made by Raven van der Steen, we hand printed it in black and later coloured it digitally. To accompany this artwork, Raven asked her friend Anne to write a poem that explores the symbology of Taboo hidden within in the linocut.
And then we whispered.
Was it fear? Was it fire?
Closing the eyes and shutting down.
Refuse to use, refuse to drown.
We are triggered,
Withdrawn in the waiting room.
Flooded with the silence,
Unspoken, imbalanced.
Here are misunderstandings,
Words without endings.
Stirred up, swallowed,
Skewed looks, walls narrowed.
Whereas the windows still open,
Not meant for only staring.
Blame it on us, shame on you,
Ascend through and shatter,
Taboo.
Raven and Anne are both doing their master in Urbanism at the faculty. Follow them at @raravenen and @anne_van_den_berg on Instagram. Want to design a future cover of Bnieuws? Contact us!
If a gender – specifically women – is portrayed invisible, it can have consequences for the next generation. A visible person, like a role model, would help that next generation. A generation with women in architecture seems the most normal thing. However, women who have experience in the male profession of architecture intimidate, and sometimes surprise the other gender. Women in architecture aren’t much of a role model. Why do people often think of a male role model, when they hear the word architect?
Taking advantage of the international and multicultural community of TU Delft, we collected national traditions or beliefs that only make sense in given communities. We might not understand why they exist, but this is what makes it special. Let’s respect each other and enjoy the beautiful mixture of traditions and taboos all around the world! Enjoy.
For many international students, there is a moment in their first months at BK when they are surprised by how the skills, motivation, and sense of responsibility of many of their Dutch colleagues is not as high as theirs. After a while, they learn that, academically, their Dutch peers are a crucial and unpredictable factor that has the power to define the outcome of any group assignment, for better or worse. But, why is this “Dutch factor” so determinant?
