King in conversation with Summa student Thorben at the opening of museum VONK

Creating a work of art that will soon be seen by many people and telling King Willem-Alexander about it. For Thorben van Breugel (18) from Boxtel, a second-year student of Furniture Maker/(Ship) Interior Builder at Summa, this all came together on Wednesday, September 2, during the official opening of Museum Park VONK in Eindhoven.

VONK tells 10.000 years of history of Eindhoven and the region. This is done using, among other things, large interactive artworks, the so-called 'sparks'. Thorben worked with three classmates on one of these artworks, based on a design by Hugo Vrijdag.

The students made part of the wooden structure. They read technical drawings, made parts to size, and figured out together how best to assemble the structure. In this way, what they learn at school came together in a real project.

For Thorben, it was primarily the visibility that made the project special. “Normally, you make a piece of furniture that only a few people eventually see. This is something that a great many people will be able to see. Then you can say: I helped make that.”

During the opening, Thorben and teacher Gianni Tahamata spoke with King Willem-Alexander about their contribution to the artwork.

Gianni deliberately chose to involve Level 2 students in the assignment. According to him, they too should be given the opportunity to work on special, visible projects and experience what their craftsmanship means outside of school.

The commission stems from the collaboration between Summa and Museumpark Vonk. That collaboration was officially ratified in September 2025. For three years, groups of students from various Summa study programs participate annually in the development and realization of new sparks.

The furniture makers are thus the first group to have concretely shaped the collaboration. Other training programs may also join subsequent artworks, depending on the knowledge and craftsmanship required.

In this way, VONK becomes not only a place where the history of Eindhoven is told, but also a place where students, designers, craftspeople, and visitors create something new together.

And Thorben? He can return to VONK with his family, point out the artwork, and say: I helped build that.