Nationaal Archief
Sound design for a major historical exhibition at the National Archive of the Netherlands, as part of the team of scenographer Guus van Geffen.
The World of the VOC won a silver IDCA award in the category best scenography for a temporary exhibition. Additionally it was nominated for a German Design Award.
About
From 1602 to 1798, the Dutch East India Company controlled trade in the eastern part of the world. For the first time, the National Archive is bringing together key pieces from the VOC archives in this exhibition. Join us on a journey of discovery through unique maps, ship logs, letters and drawings from 200 years of VOC history. Personal stories bring the VOC period to life and show that history continues to have an impact on the present and is sometimes still surprisingly current.
The VOC is a household name in the Netherlands and abroad, but in addition to pride, it also evokes negative emotions when it comes to the recognition of slavery and oppression. In contrast to the success story of what is called the first multinational in world history, there are stories of robbery, violence, atrocities and oppression.
Layed out in the shape of a ship the exhibition design aims to give the visitors a sense of travel. Sights, sounds and smells guide them past the different areas of VOC activity: the Cape of Good Hope, the Middle East, Ceylon, India, Batavia/Indonesia, Japan, China and Formosa.
Credits
The exhibition was initiated and produced by the National Archive of The Netherlands. Scenographer Guus van Geffen created the overall design and design concept for the show. As a part of Guus’ team Marcel Dolman was responsible for video design and Jorg Schellekens was responsible for sound design.
Opening
23 February 2017, Nationaal Archief (Den Haag, The Netherlands)