University Database Concept

Process and explanation: The question was to create a concept in which we could use the university database of pictures to create an art work. Despite the fact that I have access to such a database I find it unethical to make use of these pictures, thus I decided to refrain from creating a work but instead merely write down a concept. I attend a small college, approximately 900 students, this brings with it a promise of a more individualized educations, class size is limited to 22 students, teachers know each of these students on a more personal level and administrative staff is more approachable. At least, this is the utopian view of the system. However, during my time here at Bogazici I have experienced more and more that this is not necessarily always true, and that, although Bogazici is a much bigger institute, I feel closer to some of my teachers here, and more helped by the system, than back home. If I was to create an art work with these pictures I would thus try to comment on this lack of individual attention, an example could be by erasing the names of the students in the directory and instead placing their student numbers, or any random number to identify them. I have above placed an example of how this would change the directory by using my own picture.

Additionally I also thought about changing all the pictures into curriculum vitae’s and grade lists, since this seems to be of bigger importance to many students, at least in my school, then the actual process of knowledge acquisition and development as a person. There often seems to be a large emphasis on doing something just so that it will look good on your resume, rather than because you are very passionate about it. So instead of showing yourself, and showing who you are in daily life, you show a paper version of yourself on which you list everything you have accomplished.