TRACES
How can an archive of Alba Amicorum from the 16th-19th century be of value to the people of the 21st century?
2022
JESSICA VARGHESSE
ATHA LEE
KB NATIONAL LIBRARY
All those who have walked this Earth have left traces behind of their experiences, thoughts, relationships, and their very existence. Those who used the Alba were going through similar stages of life as current university students, and wanted to find their place in society. We bring the Alba Amicorum’s hidden stories to the youth of today through our senses.
We brought the stories of people who kept an Album Amicorum alive through tactile, audio and visual traces. Through an explorative combination of physical and digital media, we invite you to connect and play.
In collaboration with the Koninklijke Bibliotheek of The Hague, we built an interactive 4-piece installation in response to their archive Alba Amicorum.
Exhibition showing at the Koningklijke Bibiotheek in the center of The Hague, during May and June of 2022.
We were interested in the Alba Amicorum as a medium for people to leave behind traces of their existence. Those who kept an Album, usually began to do so around our age. We therefore chose to design this installation with the students of today in mind.
Focusing on the social interactions documented in these books, we bringing the stories of these people back to life in a contemporary context.
Friendly Games
We welcome you to our first station Friendly Games, an interaction between three friends. We all choose our friends for different reasons and Jakob had very clear intentions for his album; and what type of people he wanted to contribute to it. Explore the documented conversation and drawings between friends over the years through AR filters and cookies.
Did he make friends the way he played chess, strategically and with motive?
Hats and Ruffles
