Portrait of Herman Smith by Ruth Linnemann and Astrid Marit van Peet

Herman Smith suffered from a stroke about ten years ago.
It happened in his new studio while bending over a stuck screw he couldn’t get out.
He ended up in hospital for three weeks and from then on, Herman had to learn everything.

The greatest challenge he had to take up was being dumb.  
He communicated through little drawings, adding some letters: trying to get it written down.
Four years later he got his book published, Een wonderlijke reis (A Miraculous Trip).

Ruth Linnemann and Astrid Marit van Peet made a portrait of Herman Smith by producing a domino game. 

Instead of using the six figures, we used six categories:
  1. pictures of him 
  2. pictures of his surrounding 
  3. pictures of his painting 
  4. chapters from the first part of the book 
  5. the names of the most important people 
  6. sayings by Herman Smith

In the video (stills) you see Herman playing the domino game with his wife.
Just as in real life they showed to be well matched.

Program Seminar February 9th >
Pictures from Student Seminar >
Presentation 21 April 2006 >

Portrait of:
Han Eulderink by Jolanda Jansen, Dagmar Kriegesmann and Viola Onderdelinden >
Helma Dirks by Machteld Aardse, Carlijn Mens and Kristiina Koskentola >
Portrait of Maria Hockers by Paula Bugni, Sónia Ribeiro and Pavlina Verouki >


Project coordinators DAI:
Florian Göttke and Rebecca Sakoun