ARCHIPEDAGOGY. Un-Islanding Artistic Research and its Education

This presentation outlines the theoretical and practical intersections between archipelagic thinking, artistic research and art education, developed over a three year research project, titled: What is an Island? (2018–21). The What is an island? project was initiated within the geographic context of Sherkin Island, off the West Coast of Ireland, and supported a relational enquiry into the values, tensions and possibilities of a formal art education that links: Island – Archipelago – World. Central to this enquiry was the exploration of; a) The concrete impact of visual arts education on isolated island communities, b) The development of a multi-modal artistic research platform across island communities, c) The value of archipelagic thinking for art education in the Anthropocene. Whilst this journey was open-ended and experimental, it also explored the formal characteristics of artistic research as an evental form that is appropriate to arts education in the Anthropocene. This research process led to the development of an archipelagic MA in Art and Environment in the West Cork Archipelago, which is structured by a curriculum that is event-based and world-centred. Expanding on these connections, the presentation will be structured around three key dimensions: Site/Event/World. Through the Site of the project we gain an understanding of the educational/ research contexts from which the project emerged. This section will focus on the geographic site(ing) of the work in the BA Visual Art on Sherkin Island. Section two will reflect on the evental character of the artistic research process as it unfolded across three distinct archipelagic environments; West Cork Archipelago (2018), GalapagosIslands (2019), Virtual Environment (2020). Finally, by focusing on the world dimension of the research, the third section will reflect on the impact of the research on the educational structure of the MA in Art and Environment, and how the themes, questions and concerns in the research were transposed onto the methodological ground of a world centered education.

Glenn Loughran is an artist, lecturer and researcher at the TU Dublin School of Creative Arts. Current research explores the future of the artschool, virtual teaching and the intersections between archipelagic thinking and art education. In 2020 he set up the archipelagic MA in Art and Environment delivered in the West Cork Archipelago. The MA Art and Environment supports the study of environmental art within the unique context of remote islands. In the Anthropocene, remote islands have become significant sites of exploration, reflection and study. Key texts include, Archipelagic Imaginaries: A world-centred education at the end of the world (2019), Evental Research: After the Future…of Work (2018). Exhibiting nationally and internationally his work has developed hybrid forms of artistic research between pedagogical process, artistic intervention and evental philosophy. Key artistic research projects include: What is an island? (2018–21), After the Future…of Work (2016–20), The Hedgeschoolproject (2006–12).

Teaching Artistic Strategies is a four-day symposium on research and pedagogy in the context of art and design institutions. It addresses the challenge of transferring academic knowledge to teaching programs, formats, and skills. The symposium is jointly organized by Dorothée King, Selena Savic and Fatma Kargin. IADE x MAKE/SENSE FHNW Academy of Art and Design Basel.