CV of Failures exhibition has opened: No growth without failure
On Tuesday 8 April, the CV of Failures exhibition was officially opened by Hester Bijl. Members of the university community share their personal stories during the exhibition. They offer an honest insight into the rejections, setbacks, and unexpected turns that have shaped their journeys.
No growth without failure
During the opening, in addition to the exhibition participants, interested visitors from all kinds of backgrounds were present. Angela van der Lans, Program Manager Student Wellbeing, emphasised how crucial failure is: 'If everything always goes smoothly, nothing really happens. It's precisely when you step outside your comfort zone, where things start to feel a bit uncomfortable, that growth occurs. Without failure, there can be no growth.'
Robin Buijs, Assessor FSW, talks about why he was eager to participate in the exhibition: 'I took part in this exhibition because I think it’s a wonderful initiative that shows, in a playful way, that diverse people within the university also have a lot that hasn’t worked out. Deep down, you know that people don’t just have success stories, but sometimes you see a professor more as someone who fulfills a role than as individuals. This exhibition makes the people you interact with more human.'
The impact of privilege
During her opening speech, Hester Bijl highlighted that so-called success or failure is also linked to privilege:
'We live in a society - and yes, also in a university culture - that tends to highlight success. But what we often overlook is that success is not only about talent or hard work - it’s also shaped by privilege. Not everyone starts from the same place. Access to resources, supportive networks, financial stability, even the freedom to take risks - these all play a role in how easily we can succeed, or how resilient we’re allowed to be when we fail. That’s why exhibitions like this matter. They remind us to look at each other - and ourselves - with more empathy, and a lot less judgment.'
The exhibition will be on display until Friday 11 April in the Wijnhaven lounge. Come by and discover that failure is not the opposite of success, it is a vital part of it.
Pictures by Patryk Fabis
