Abstract
The question of this paper is how the canonicity of knowledge production can be addressed and un-learned through art workshops. This article explores the “metagrid” art installation and workshop, part of “#metttafestival – Who are we on social media?” held at BUoY in Tokyo in October 2022. In this study, I analyze through the position of the artist and facilitator of “metagrid”, how reading diffractively can be communicated within art workshops. I created this installation out of hand-recycled paper strips woven into a net and conceptually inspired by new materialist feminisms. In the “metagrid” activation workshop, I invited the participants to answer with their bodies what is their perception of knowledge, how they learn, and how they make. Many of the people who participated drew connections between failing to make outstanding contributions and the practice of solving problems in their lives and this was the central theme for the discussion, a recurring experience. The workshop observations reveal how bodies are directed in certain ways depending on each person’s background. Through auto-ethnographic narration and direct observation, I recount and reflect on the material and human agencies, during the workshop and in the aftermath. This article provides insights into the importance of art workshops in exploring complex themes through diffractive lenses and emphasizes the significance of including diverse voices and agencies. Overall, this paper contributes to the growing discourse on the intersection between matter and knowledge production and highlights the potential for transformative learning experiences through embodied practices.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
ART, WORKSHOP, DIFFRACTION, MATERIALITY, INCLUSION
