Bachelor student Robin Vermeulen is the winner of the van Mensch price 2015 for his research and thesis on the Amsterdam graffiti art. Riemer Knoop, chair of the jury and professor Cultural Heritage: "As an embedded journalist ethnologist Robin interviewed key players and fans in the Amsterdam graffiti scene. He observed and reflected, formulated a theory and drew great conclusions."

It affects us that Robin connects the theory of contemporary community archeaeology (Holtorf) and the theory of fear of losing by Nobelpricewinner Kahneman. Robin concludes that fostering graffiti as meaningful cultural phenomenon can be done best outside the traditional heritage frameworks, retaining and by the scene itself, and to choose to accompany this process instead of exhibiting in a museum."

The Pieter Jan Abraham Mensch Award was named after the former lecturer Peter Mensch, also initiator of this homage to a student who makes a special contribution to the heritage theory. 

Photo: Erwin van Amstel