MAËL VAN DER GIESEN

Dual Degree student MAËL VAN DER GIESEN studies Spatial Design at Willem de Kooning Academy (WdKA) and Arts and Culture Studies (IBACS) at Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR). He is currently in his third year and is working on an artistic research project on the housing crisis in Rotterdam.

What made you choose the Dual Degree?

Before I started the Dual Degree, I studied Psychology at EUR for a year. I decided to change because the programme was just a bit too theoretical for me. And I always had this more creative and artistic side, but I didn't want to do only art school either because I thought this would be too practical, just like I found only university to be too theoretical. So when I found out that you could combine both of them, I was quite easily sold.

How would you say the arts and sciences reinforce each other? 

I think in a very practical sense. I believe art can be quite vague and inaccessible for people who aren't involved with it. And it's the same with an overly scientific approach. But if you combine the two, you can create a medium that is much more accessible and approachable for a larger audience. So I think that art can be more accessible with a theoretical framework and a theoretical framework can be way more accessible with a bit of art in it.

How do you see this combination of the arts and sciences in your own work?

What I notice is that I don't necessarily use specific things I learned at EUR in my work at WdKA. But I do combine the ways of thinking. The result is that I usually try to first approach a topic from a scientific perspective. Once I have a theoretical framework ready, I try to connect it to creative answers. In the case of the co-housing project, for example, I initially researched the economic background of the problem and then used an artistic approach to create a product with what I had learnt. 

As a Dual Degree student, what makes you different from other students at your institutions?

I mostly see differences between me and my classmates at WdKA, simply because I am more engaged with that group of students since the type of education is more personal. I wouldn’t say we are worlds apart, but I do see a difference in the way of approaching a project. Most of my classmates—however not all of them, of course—start with a very creative approach right from the beginning, whereas I usually approach things from a more theoretical perspective at first and then connect this to creative answers later on in the process.

Did the Dual Degree enable you to build a network across the different institutes? 

For sure. But at this point, my network consists mostly of friends. I think it's interesting to have connections in both worlds. Some friends and I are even considering to start a small collective in the future, and I may know some people at EUR that I could connect to the project. I really like that I could be a bridge between WdKA and EUR. 

How has this form of education influenced your perspective of your future practice?

Back when I was studying Psychology, I had this idea that I would have to pursue a really academic career. Now that I have both sides to experiment with, I feel like I don’t have to fit into that box anymore. So, on the one hand, I have more options to choose from—whether it is within the realm of the arts or the sciences. And on the other hand, I feel like the Dual Degree also opens other doors, like allowing me to develop a unique set of skills and experiences. With my academic background and creative thinking abilities, I could perhaps even knock on the door of an architectural firm, without having a degree from TU Delft.

How has RASL changed your vision on education?

What I really like about the programme is the freedom to choose how much time you want to spend on both degrees. For example, when you have difficulties planning and you contact one of the supervisors, they are really open and will encourage you to make the decision that suits you best. I think this open mind in letting us do what we think is good for us is quite nice and it's not something I found in my other studies. 

What do you think could be the next step for the Dual Degree or RASL in general?

Well, a really practical thing, actually. I think it would be really useful for RASL to have a physical location. Now RASL exists mostly digitally. To have a central spot where we can work, come together and talk to each other would be a nice next step and would make it easier to find one another.