Anniina Suominen

8.14 Evolving Views on Arts-Based and Artistic Research (Paper)

Anniina Suominen – Aalto University, School of Art, Design and Architecture, Finland

Mira Kallio-Tavin – University of Georgia, USA

Abstract:

This presentation explores contemporary perspectives on arts-based and artistic research in light of earlier approaches. The goal of this presentation is to view specific – rather than general – perspectives, examining not only the current landscape but also the historical evolution of arts-based and artistic research and the motivations behind these changes. We focus on the present state while considering what might be interesting or necessary for other researchers, especially for the next generation of scholars. In critical artistic and post-qualitative research, it has not been essential to expand beyond traditional qualitative methods; rather, these approaches increasingly arise from contemporary theories and an art-centred orientation. We see a major recent shift in the concept of the Anthropocene as a defining human condition, recognizing its impact on arts-based and artistic research. Specifically, acknowledging the Anthropocene influences how we experience response-ability, pushing us to reconsider humanity’s possible roles in relation to the planet’s limitations. Growing environmental concerns, including biodiversity loss and species extinction, have gained significant attention in recent years. Through this presented study, we aim to explore how these historical and current changes shape the evolving landscape of arts-based and artistic research.

9.9 Propositions for Museum Education: International Art Educators in Conversation (Panel)

Chair:

Patricia Osler – The Convergence Initiative | Concordia University, Montreal, Canada 

Panellists:

Anniina Suominen – Aalto university, School of Art, Design and Architecture, Finland

Sue Girak – City Beach Primary School, WA, Australia – virtual

Tatiana Kravtsov – University of Lapland, Rovaniemi, Finland – virtual 

Rolf Laven – University College of Teacher Education, Vienna, Austria

Anita Sinner – The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

Lisbet Skregelid – University of Agder, Kristiansand, Norway – virtual

Abstract:

This panel discussion explores how international art educators are engaging with new approaches to museum education in response to 21st century challenges. Panellists discuss how and why museums are shifting, evolving as sites that mediate different and multiple knowledges for the future. Who is a learner? What is a museum? Whose art is missing? Within the shifting discourse, authors of this edited collection investigate museum futures as contiguous educational sites that contribute to inclusivity, equity and diversity, and embrace dynamic innovations for teaching and learning. We open the conversation in an ‘artful exchange’ across global, local and glocal contexts, reconceptualizing museums to consider accessibility, differences in lived experiences, and how both situated and virtual practices create impactful change. With an overarching concept of relationality between art museums and interdisciplinary perspectives, museums as informal learning sites offer the communities they serve unexpected territories for meaningful experiential and educational exchange through practice-based projects. As catalysts for public scholarship, the propositions for museum education in this collection reflect living futures in relation to practice, weaving the learning potential of interacting with artworks more fully within international and localized communities to present a distinct socio-cultural discourse that is at the heart of teaching and learning.