‘Manifesting AUTONOOM Voices’ 2015

all MEiA students of our cohort (2014-2016) had to present their research in TENT Rotterdam in autumn 2015
for the Critical Pedagogies seminor by Frans Willem Korsten
i chose this form where we all read out the text i made*,
collecting the ways that 2013-2015 students and tutors of WdKA Fine Art (“Autonome Beeldende Kunst” or “Autonoom” for short) describe their art education - and how they see this
later, for my MEiA graduation project, i did a qualitative data analysis of all collected words and implicit values concerning artistic practice.

this led to one of my grad work for my Piet Zwart Master Education in Art
‘Mapping AUTONOOM Voices’ 2016

other MEiA works: ‘EssayField 1’ 2014 / ‘In A Manner Of Speaking: First Language Presentation’ 2014 / ‘4 in 1’ 2015-edited 2024 / ‘Mapping AUTONOOM Voices’ 2016 / ‘Aspects Cards Readings’ 2016 - ongoing

*text:
Critical Pedagogy – Mapping AUTONOOM Voices – Collective reading – 27. June 2015
Collected texts from Autonoom students in what ‘Autonoom’ means to them, recurring words grouped.

Instructions:
We read the following sentences all together aloud, at the same pace (English and Dutch together). The sentences in which you do not recognize yourself you do not say out loud.
But please do try to keep the same pace as the others! The whole takes about 5 minutes. We do it 3 times in a row without a break.

"
I
I want to learn what an “individual” is
To learn to be critical about my own position
Well, that I can do my own thing.
And to develop myself, and that I can just discover what I come up against
To make work departing from my Comfort zone
To go out of my Comfort zone
Space to do my own thing
My own way
Find your own way by trying out many things
To learn to steer “freedom”
How to deal with freedom? To learn that
Freedom to change direction in the middle of the process
Searching for > defining your own rules > Autonomous
Working from your own rules and frames > freedom > Autonomous
Creating guidelines for yourself
Independence
Independently setting up my own processes - of a teacher I expect information and content
Gain the discipline to create and arrange things
Trying to become proud by making what I want to do -> I cannot make beautiful things, I cannot make beautiful things, I think, I do not want to make beautiful things
Questioning yourself by questioning your work
Analyzing yourself by going deeper into processes

Doing
Process
Learn to develop process together with teachers
Process is key
During the process the Autonoom experiences something, the Autonoom acquires experience and skill
Improve my weaknesses in process
Critical feedback about the image itself and not about concept alone
Classes in concept and process
Free interpretation
Make a lot, play with images
Play
Playing human > Homo ludens > Autonomous
The Autonoom searches for the rules of play, to live accordingly
Not just working towards end product, less focus on perfectionism
Allow the homo ludens to make his/her own rules
Play with what is given
Playground, “go and do something”, that is too free
To have responsibility for your surroundings as a student, you have to learn how to do that
Strong teachers who can chop off heads
Teachers with a broad range of skills: one moment a tutor and another moment a coach
Working from concept
Working with different techniques, with different materials
Working in different media
Develop a personal style
Produce lots from everything you see
Restructure and execute
Space

Core
It’s about expressing my ideas
Issues that I have a specific critique of or vision on, to visualize these through work
Translate certain feelings and thoughts into images or work, things that are difficult to express in words
Knowledge of the professional field you are in
Critical questions
Basics of research skills
Vision
Wide-angle view
Exposing systems
Never make assumptions

Also focus on context
Self-interest - people’s interest - commercial interest
Public space: how do bystanders react?
Autonomous is a professional field when the Autonoom wishes to share rules of play with others
Creative professional field is continuously changing > respond > new media
To place the work I do from my comfort zone, in a marketable context
Commercial mindset to position myself as a brand
Cooperate
Combine Individuality

Thank you for being there, listening and giving us voice!
"

Compiled by Karin Arink for the end presentation of the Piet Zwart Master of Education in Arts seminar ‘Critical Pedagogy - Cartographies of acting pedagogically: working with liquid logic’ by Frans Willem Korsten.
Thanks to all students.