The very first GIVE ME AN ASSIGNMENT, an ongoing personal project I just started (you can read about it in my previous post if you haven’t already), was given by Richard Niessen, a Dutch graphic designer I met while we both were invited to give a week long workshop at ECV in Paris. While this was the very first workshop I’ve given in stop motion, Richard was a veteran who often gave workshops all over the world. During that week, I was very much intrigued by his workshop, which is not only about visual, but greatly based on research and content, and by his work.

I had an opportunity to visit his lofty and cozy studio, which he shares with his wife, Esther de Vries (also a talented graphic designer with great body of works), a few months back while I was visiting Amsterdam. I got to see his past works in posters and books, and some sketches of his upcoming (now ended) exhibition at Une Saison Graphique in Le Havre, France.

He also shared some of the assignments he has given in his past workshops, and I thought to myself that I’d love to have taken those workshops. Thus, on my way back from his studio, GIVE ME AN ASSIGNMENT was born. And who is a better person to ask for the very first assignment than Richard : )

Here are some of his works.

Upon asking, Richard gladly gave me an assignment.

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As an ASSIGNMENT, I would like you to make a ceremony for someone who is R-E-A-L-L-Y important to you, someone you have learnt a lot from, who means a lot to you. in ‘normal’ life you never have the time to think about this, but now it’s time to honour him or her. Think of decisive moment and make it more universal and turn it into a ritual to translate this moment or that what he/she means to you… translate it into a symbolic or metaphorical act to commemorate the fact that you are you because of the influence and the help of others.

DURATION the ritiual itself should last only a few minutes I guess. You can work on it for one week. There is one moment when you will explain me what you would like to do and I will give you tips and tricks. You will show me the final result, that if you like it, can be repeated by you each year!

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So this is why I’ve been stone hunting these days. As I mentioned before, feel free to join in, share your ideas and do this assignment with me : ) I will share my work-in-progress too very soon!