House of Artisans

Qasr Al Hosn Abu Dhabi (UAE)
Permanent exhibition 2021
In partnership with KDJ+T for the Department for Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi

Meet the Artisans of the United Arab Emirates!

This journey takes its guests, Emiratis, expats, and cultural tourists alike, onto a journey to the crafts and design of the UAE, that engages all senses and the mind. 

Located at the heart of the UAE, at Qasr Al Hosn, next to the former palace and first building of Abu Dhabi, the Guests find the new House Of Artisans.

At the center of this exhibition, the guests will meet real traditional artisans that keep the old traditions alive at their workplace.

In three surrounding pavillions, the guests can explore the materials and processes used for Talli, Al Sadu, and Khoos and learn about the techniques in an interactive way. 

The pavilions are surrounded by displays of modern-day Emirati designs and crafts that take the tradition's into the future.

A fifth pavilion is dedicated to the art of Gahwa, the traditional coffee making. Here Gahwa will be prepared, as a presentation, but also to be offered to the exhibition's guests throughout the space, sharing its beautiful smell and aromas adding to the sensual experience of this exhibition.

This pavilion has a little hidden kitchenette and a large automated curtain that can close the space off for presentations

In order to facilitate a variety of exciting and ambitious workshops we designed a flexible furniture system that can be configured towards many different arrangements.

The exhibition is embraced by two large wall installations. The 'Universe of Crafts' showcases products of traditional crafts while the juxtaposed 'Wall of Hands' is a video-installation that shows crafting hands, in motion.

Since we designed the complete guest-journey through the ground floor of the building we also transformed the entrance/exit area. Here hosts will welcome and inform the guests. This area is also the Museum-shop which we designed from natural materials.

 

 

Friends:

For this project MAF was the partner design office that designed and developed this project in partnership with KDJ+Tellartfor DCT in Abu Dhabi /UAE.
The project's scope included Concept design, Spatial design, Interaction and AV-content production, Graphic Design and Art-direction.

MAF: Martin Sämmer (Executive creative director)
KDJ: Mark de Jong (overall lead), Wendy Jansen (Overall PM), Femke Bijlsma (Content-developer), Alejandra Calderon (Senior spatial designer), Berthe Mandaat (DTP), Osama Elcontar (Arabic DTP)
TELLART: Matt Cottam (media lead), Bjørn Karmann (Creative director-media), Joanna Roman (PM-media), Luca Zander (Mediadesign), Stefano Erba (Mediadesign)

Light design: Heinz Loopstra
AV hardware and interaction: Tellart (concept and production)
Build: Projex UAE (Joe Villamonte)
Photography: Mohamed Somji (Photography)
And many more..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The Temple Mount

Museum Catharijneconvent Utrecht 
Permanent exhibition 2021

A 200-year-old model of the temple mount of Jerusalem becomes alive and tells its story for young visitors.

The model is shown open, with a rail around it for protection. It is illuminated with great precision to enable the guests to take a very close look and admire its beauty.

To facilitate a conversation (most of the guests will be moderated groups) the model is placed in a way that groups can stand around it.

The PLAY-button on the hand-rail will start a short, beautifully made projection onto the model.

This film will point out the most important buildings on the site and the overall importance of the place for the three religions.

The Model itself is a fascinating object and on a screen besides the Model the guests can learn more about it.

Archaeologist and model builder Conrad Schick built the model of the Temple Mount in 1879 for Schouten.

Schick was one of the few archaeologists who had the opportunity to take measurements and make drawings in all the underground parts of the Temple Mount. 

His model thus offers a good picture of the situation on the Temple Mount in the nineteenth century, and makes clear how closely the holy places of Jews, Christians and Muslims are linked. Conrad Schick built several models of the Temple Mount, such as the one he made for the 1873 World's Fair in Vienna. 

Today the model in Museum Catharijneconvent is the only one that can still be seen in Europe, the other three surviving models are in Jerusalem.

Inter-religious Dialogue

With the placement of the model of the Temple Mount Haram al-Sharif, within the Museum Catharijneconvent

is responding to the need of education to talk to students about religion and to stimulate inter-religious dialogue. 

Friends:
Miko Vasques Dias (model restauration)
Planemos (builder)
ShoSho (animation on model and interview-film with restaurator)
Kleurdomein (window- prints)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

copyright 2021 MAF.studio 

 

Hugo Grotius 400

Slot Loevestein (NL)
Temporary exhibition 2021

A dive into the mind of Dutch humanist, diplomat, lawyer, theologian, jurist, poet and playwright Hugo Grotius (Hugo de Groot).

Hugo Grotius, is in The Netherlands famous for his spectacular escape from his imprisonment on Loevestein Castle. Hidden in a book-chest, he managed to flee exactly 400 years ago

The exhibition welcomes the guests with the most iconic and known topic, the chest.

The escape has become legendary and throughout time innumerous artistic impressions of it have been created. From 300-year-old sketches up to a Lego stop-motion film. The exhibition brings some them together and shows how this escape, that is part of the national canon of The Netherlands, has become kind of pop-culture in itself.

Since the original book-chest is not existing anymore, we worked together with young people to build a new one. As a guest, you can even step inside, test the chest-escape-feeling and get a picture taken.

Over the years, the original cell and its interior have been lost. In this space you can meet Hugo Grotius in his original cell in the form of an oil-painting.

Every few minutes, the walls of his cell 'become alive' and start to tell about the live as a captive on Loevestein Castle and reveal the details of the great escape.

As the grand finale and the main space, the guests enter the 'universe of thoughts' of Hugo Grotius who was one of the forethinkers of modern day international and maritime law.

5 of his most important antique books are displayed in orbital-showcases, which virtually scatter the words from the books in form of light all over the space and therewith create an immersive 'light installation of thoughts'. 

Traveling trough this 'universe of thoughts', the guests will meet five experts, among which the ESA Astronaut Andre Kuipers, that talk about some important aspects, the legacy and influence of Hugo Grotius’s work in our modern world.

 

Friends:

Beeld & Beweging - AV productions
Flink - Exhibition build
Berthe Mandaat - Creative DTP
Mike Bink - Photography

Experts:

Almatine Leene, Theoloog des Vaderlands
André Kuipers, Astronaut European Space Agency
Carl Haarnack, Voorzitter Stichting Anton de Kom 
Jan van de Venis, wnd. Ombudspersoon Toekomstige Generaties
Tessa Beeloo, Coördinator Humanitair Oorlogsrecht Rode Kruis

Special thanks to

Prof. Hendrik Kaptein for his consultation on sometimes quite complex questions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Body language

Museum Catharijneconvent Utrecht 
Temporary exhibition 2020-2021

An immersive journey through the body perception of the Middle Ages.

This exhibition shows Christian artifacts from the late Middle Ages that depict the body in unexpected and extreme ways. The collection is curated from all over Europe, including pieces from the British Library and the French Louvre.

To guide the guests through the collection, we created an immersive experience that leads through different parts of the body.

Guests start their journey with an audiovisual introduction where they meet important experts, before travelling through the themed spaces BLOOD, HAIR, HEAD and SKIN.

As the grand finale, the exhibition ends at the fountain of blood and milk. Guests can scan QR codes throughout the journey to listen to the stories behind the objects.

Due to the corona outbreak, we have adjusted the design to comply with the latest safety requirements.

Friends:
Dutch Iglo - Introduction Film
Esther de Vries - Graphic design
Gerritjan Huinink - Photography
Mike Bink - Photography

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HET WIJ

 

Paradiso Amsterdam
Performance event 2019

An enveloping experience that draws the visitor in.

For this performance event at the legendary Paradiso in Amsterdam, we worked with the artist Cindy Moorman to develop a visitor journey around her ‘scripted gathering’ Het Wij (The We).

The overall concept incorporates themed lighting and interventions such as posters, visual art, UV stamps and projections into a multi-layered experience.

We have created a comprehensive journey that brings together the exterior and the interior of the building, drawing the guests into the venue and guiding them through the evening with the performance, an audiovisual choir, as the climax.

The very specific typology of colors and shapes of the work of Cindy Moorman has been applied in order to create a themed journey through this performance evening. 

 

Friends:
Cindy Moorman - Artist 
Niels Stomps - Photography

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LVX - Collaborations 

Louis Vuitton (via Random Studio)
LVX - Collaborations Exhibition Los Angeles
Spatial media and interaction 2019

An on-brand series of installations and Instagram filters.

For this Louis Vuitton Brand Exhibition in Los Angeles, we have ideated and developed a series of interactive installations and produced a spatial film as well as a set of themed Instagram filters.

Friends:
Random Studio

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Backstage

Vinger.nl + M A F co-production in Amsterdam Zuidoost
Pop-up photo exhibition 2016

An impromptu meeting place for Amsterdam’s hip-hop scene.

This exhibition shows the unique portraits of hip-hop legends taken by the photographer Ilja Meefout in dressing rooms and backstage areas over the years. For this impressive photo-collection, we wanted to create a setting that felt like the perfect backstage as well.

Instead of creating a clean, white gallery space, we have worked with Vinger.nl to turn an empty shop into an exhibition space complete with a DJ setup, a bar and stage lights. Part of the walls are also covered in black paper, inviting guests to literally leave their mark next to the authentic autographs of their biggest idols.

A place where people can not only see the work, but also engage, hang out and perform.

The exhibition has become a temporary stage and hub for the local hip-hop scene almost overnight, bringing together idols and fans with some spontaneous and legendary gigs.

Friends:
Jeffrey Croese - Vinger.nl (and his whole amazing crew)
Ilja Meefout - Photographer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

De Münster Domschat

Museum Catharijneconvent Utrecht 
Temporary exhibition 2018 

A spectacular treasure hunt through the ages.

 

For the first time in history, this temporary exhibition presents the famous Münster treasure, which has its origins in the Middle Ages, outside of Münster.

The experiential journey starts with an audiovisual introduction of the treasure’s origin and its relation to Utrecht.

The exhibition then uses fascinating archival documents from the Middle Ages to explain to the guests how such a treasure was assembled with politics and indulgence.

By juxtaposing the preserved relics of the lost Utrecht treasure, we talk about the Eucharistic function of the treasure.

In the laboratory, the guests learn about the materials and origins of the treasure that are also an indicator of the trade relations of that time.

The climax is the Münster treasure itself, which we present in a treasure chest made of glass. The treasures are beautifully mounted and lit and can be experienced in detail. A recording of the Utrecht Dome Choir is playing in the space that is surrounded by enlarged details of the treasure itself.

Before leaving, the guests can have an audiovisual sit-down with the curators, can voice their opinion on a feedback wall and sign the guestbook.

Friends:
Andreas Tscholl - Graphic design