Abstract

As public pedagogical sites, art museums and galleries are regularly being called upon to engage publics in social justice issues. To activate the dialogic potential of these locations, contemporary artists often work with provocative open-ended questions that deal with social concerns, alongside participatory methods. Such practices can disrupt the traditionally oppressive barriers between art institutions and diverse publics, contributing to the development of safer spaces for engaging with difficult issues. We introduce an exhibition of participatory artwork that engaged visitors in concepts associated with consent culture and the prevention of sexualized violence. I co-developed and co-facilitated this exhibition with a multidisciplinary contemporary artist (Caroline Boileau). We investigated how participatory artistic practices can help situate galleries as dynamic community learning sites for working with difficult knowledge, such as addressing and preventing sexualized violence. Over a 3-week period, we occupied the gallery on a full-time basis, engaging with visitors and supporting their experiences. Using playful participatory artistic approaches, the artworks encouraged collaboration, dialogue, and boundary development. Through observations, interviews with visitors, analysis of visitors’ artistic contributions, and our personal reflections, a series of themes and practical suggestions for museums, educators, curators, and artists interested in working with difficult knowledge in gallery spaces emerged. We introduce methods for incorporating serious play, self-care, and community learning into work associated with difficult knowledge in museums, using strategies associated with participatory art as starting points.

Presenters

Natasha S. Reid
Assistant Professor, Art Education, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Caroline Boileau
Multidisciplinary artist, independant curator, and educator, www.carolineboileau.com, Canada

Details

Presentation Type

Paper Presentation in a Themed Session

Theme

Visitors

KEYWORDS

GALLERY EDUCATION, PARTICIPATORY ART, PLAY, DIFFICULT KNOWLEDGE, SOCIAL JUSTICE, CONSENT

Digital Media

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