Pop-Up Student Union Photo Gallery Organized by the Very Secret Visual Society

First appearing yesterday, a gallery of student photos is hanging from the ceiling of the Student Union until Thursday, November 17. The images feature landscapes, city views and profiles. The photos are the work of the Very Serious Visual Society (VSVS), a King’s organization unlike most. VSVS does not hold meetings and does not announce who selects the pieces for galleries and contests.

“There are a substantial amount of individuals at this school who might not always highlight their own work, but they will in this format,” Simeon Marklin ('19) said.

Marklin received an email from VSVS about submitting work for a gallery. Marklin picked some of his favorite photos and submitted them. It was not until Sunday, November 13 that he got another email saying his work had been selected and would be hanging in the Student Union this week. While Marklin does not know who selected his works, he does believe in the purpose of VSVS.

The cloaked organization selected two of Marklin’s submissions to display, one of which is a picture Marklin took while spending a week with his family in Alaska. The picture needed no editing, according to Marklin.

"No single photo captured how I perceived Alaska than that photo … the scale, the climate, the allure,” Marklin noted.

For Marklin, each photo captures a moment, revealing that there is something “brutally honest” about a person through their photo. The VSVS gallery offers King's students the opportunity to see their fellow students' work and hopefully to ask for the stories behind them as well.

VSVS exists because its founders saw the opportunities for MCA students as limited to journalism and acting. They wanted to create a place where students, talented in other areas, could showcase their work.

“Currently, VSVS operates in four categories: design, film, photography, and data visualization. VSVS has three executives: The Director, The Seeker, and The Sword, who are responsible for researching contests, contacting students who have potential, and coordinating with the academic wing and other organizations to partner with,” according to a VSVS email.

Those who would like to get involved should contact vsvs@tkc.edu.

“If you have a passion for film or photograph don’t be afraid to put it out there,” said Marklin. “There’s no expectation, no hierarchy, no formula. It’s a place to focus on your craft.”

Media Lab Coordinator Cameron Strittmatter declined to comment.