Eigen Schuld

For centuries, tapestries have been used as a narrative form to indicate social and political developments and problems. I do the same with my project 'Eigen Schuld' (a play on words which can either mean 'your debt' or 'your fault'). The tapestry symbolizes the life of a student experiencing the burden of a continuously increasing student loan. The total value of my own student debt ultimately determines the selling price of the tapestry (€45.879,40 in April 2023). With this amount I link the financial reality to the physical reality of the carpet as a statement to increase awareness about student debts and the consequences of the social student finance system in the Netherlands. The goal is to hang the tapestry in a government building to encourage politicians to consider the consequences of the social student finance system.