Aarde/erde
In the project `aarde/erde´ we wanted to know what would happen if we shared the artistic research process with children and other visitors of the museum. Not giving the visitors work to look at, but rather creating those works of art together and get inspired by each other. Sometimes these works of art were only temporary but we also made works of art that stayed there for the next visitor to be inspired by. A heap of soil was the starting point of this artistic research. Only this, a completely white space around it and a overhead projector.
We would start together as a group with a collective encounter of the soil, in a way that was focused on the senses. Feeling the soil with different parts of the body (feet/hands/face) smelling, listening etc. From this experience, we decided together how we wanted to proceed, sometimes as a group, sometimes individually. Embodiment and dialogue where key elements in this co-creative process.
Making (art) in this context means another way of experiencing ourselves and our actions, the materials, others and their actions, the world that changes through all of our individual and collective actions and efforts. Letting go of our expectations and entering a state of curiosity.
A big part of this process is not knowing what´s going to happen, and the possibility of nothing happening at all, or not being able to create something. In this state of openness we are able to encounter the world in a different, more playfull way because we don´t have to be afraid of making mistakes. In the end we had a complete exhibition with works of art we created together and made a small book with the works of art.
Yvonne Bronner (artist, art teacher) and Simone van der Meer (future planet studies, art teacher) work together as `de benadering´ to develop projects that evolve around creating a new and deeper understanding of oneself, others and the world, through artistic experiences, artistic encounters and co-creating.