Interior Architecture and Furniture Design students develop the Jos Brink and the Joke Smit Awards 2023

15 March 2023

News project collaboration

For the fourth time, the department Interior Architecture and Furniture Design at the Royal Academy of Art The Hague collaborated with the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) for the design of the Jos Brink Prijs 2023 (for LGBTIQ+ equality) and Joke Smitprijs (for gender equality). On 9 March minister Robbert Dijkgraaf (OCW) visited the department and the students handed over the awards.

The awards offer visibility for the often unrecognised activist work done by individuals or collectives towards the emancipation of Dutch society. After extensive research on equality and emancipation, each first-year student developed a trophy, which was then further developed in one detailed, smaller scale gem stone. Seeing design as collaboration, the gem-stones were brought together in two collections of brooches, dedicated to the winners of the Jos Brink Prijs 2023 and Joke Smitprijs. "It is wonderful that we can use your artwork to help eliminate inequality," Dijkgraaf said.

Photo: temet.studio
Photo: temet.studio

The students worked under the guidance of Zsofia Kollar and Ellen Vos. Furthermore, the students and tutors also worked closely together with Lara Dautun (Bachelor Graphic Design student), Kes Lugt (Bachelor Fine Arts student), Medina Rešić (alumna Bachelor Photography) and Guido van der Linden (KABK staff) for the realisation of the accompanying publications, videos and box designs.

Students that designed the Joke Smit Award 2023

Anne-Maren Birkelid
Artiom Iacob
Aleksandra Kojro
Anna Ratibor
Iji Shin
Frederikke Hemmingsen
Joep Boogaard
Milo Hatfield
Oliver Tippl
Veronika Andreou
Vlada Kavalchuk

Students that designed the Jos Brink Award 2023

Anna Siméone
Alexandria Liiv
Aylin Sanci
Emily Vassallo Medici
Femke Huberts
Ponke Mühlig
Rareș Chereji
Saulė Andrejevaitė

More about this project collaboration

About the emancipation awards

The Jos Brink and Joke Smit are incentive prizes that are awarded to people or collectives who actively promote emancipation within Dutch society. The prizes underline the importance of activism and also show the impact of social involvement on our social climate. The incentive awards highlight the different themes that shape our social climate, such as: identity, gender and sexuality, but also broader issues such as social power systems and privilege.