Step 7 of 8

The room as an homage

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The collection in Gijs’ room did not just originate from a creative influx; the room has an intricate emotional dimension as well. A great number of the objects visible in the room once belonged to Gijs’ grandpa, who passed away when Gijs was 17 years old. He was as much a fan of collecting paraphernalia as Gijs is now. As a dumpster diver, he scavenged for all kinds of things, and he kept everything that he could get his hands on stored in his house. Gijs tells us how much of a joy it was for him and his twin brothers to come over when they were younger: his house was like an enormous playground where they could endlessly discover new things.Once in a while, their grandpa allowed them to take home something from his newly found objects.

Above all else, Gijs had a great relationship with his grandpa. He could share everything with him, and he admired his way of looking at the world, even though there always remained a little mystery to him. It goes without saying that his death had a great impact on Gijs and his family. Soon after his passing, there came a moment that proved significant for Gijs, namely when he and his family had to empty out the house his grandpa had lived in. It was a painful thing to do, as they had to remove the objects that were very closely bound to his grandpa as well as his living space. Gijs decided to keep a small part of the things his grandpa had collected over the years, which are now visible throughout Gijs’ room.

On the walls you can see bright orange plastic circles, a variety of spiritual ornaments, and posters for a Greek cultist meeting, all objects that Gijs inherited from his grandpa. There is also a shelf above his bed, where Gijs has displayed some of his grandpa’s objects that are still dear to him, such as the wingnut Gijs tells about in the video. All of these objects hold particular emotional connotations and function as memorabilia of his grandpa. But when we ask Gijs about the contrast of these emotionally laden objects with his creatively influenced interior, he tells us that finding a place for these objects is very natural to him. Although there are differences between his grandpa’s collectibles and his own, they all share a depth of character and a sense of personality, and even though this might differ from object to object, all objects tie into each other and every bit constitutes as part of the story of Gijs and his room. The room thus shows how creative and emotional influxes interweave, and that they are inseparable in constituting someone’s identity.

Perhaps the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Besides the many names Gijs has given to his room – his autobiography, the organized chaos – he calls it an homage to his grandpa as well.