Strands A, B & C

STRAND A: Image, Vision and Sign

Conveners:

·     Paul Haywood, Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts, London, UK.

·     Andris Teikmanis, Art Academy of Latvia, Riga, LV.

The embedding of artistic research into the core of the Fine Art curriculum, at all levels, functions to emphasize the balance between materials, aesthetic and textual discourses comprising visual or sensorial outcomes from art making. In reality, image production is no longer an essential objective or prerequisite of contemporary artistic practices and yet the expanded field remains dependent on cornerstones of a practice discipline. Concurrently, a continuing expansion and distribution of new technologies and media tools is posing a diverging set of exigencies relating to contemporary image production and, therefore, paradoxical roles for contemporary art education.

Keywords: artistic research, visual research, image production, visual discourses, signs, semiotics, future.

STRAND B: Activating Art Education

Conveners:

·     Jason E. Bowman, Valand Academy, University of Gothenburg, SE.

·     Mark O’Kelly, National College of Art and Design, Dublin, IR.

·     Carla Repice, Bard Graduate Centre, & The City College of New York, US.

This strand seeks to consider the reimagination and repurposing of learning cultures and environments of education to promote and activate radical and intersectional social transformation through interrogating local and global challenges. New paradigms in the conditions and production, dissemination and reception of contemporary artistic work demands an ambitious reciprocal response from within cultures of learning and throughout institutions of education. This strand will address the urgent need to rebalance and reinvigorate our learning cultures to meet contemporary challenges via potential futural pedagogy.

Keywords: radical imagination, social transformation, critical art education, radical pedagogy.

STRAND C: Future Traditions

Conveners:

  • Taina Erävaara, Arts Academy, Turku University of Applied Sciences, Turku, FI.
  • Basia Sliwinska, London College of Fashion, University of the Arts, London, UK.
  • Kirsten Stromberg, Syracuse University in Florence, Florence, IT.

In current times of crisis – marked by a growing dissatisfaction with individualistic and materialistic discourses – this strand is interested in creative practices and cultural activities that question patriarchal, colonial and anthropocentric paradigms, exploring aesthetic engagement and ethical social transformation as possibilities and concrete practices for future generations. In particular, Future Traditions seeks to explore radical approaches that re-visit and re-vision cultural practices through diverse histories, feminist and LGBTQ2+ discourses, and ecologies of becoming in a broad sense.

Keywords:aesthetics and social justice, ecologies of becoming, intra-actions, growing across, radical practice, dialogical approaches, ephemeral interventions.