Raphael Vella

6.39 Identity and History as Porous Territories: The (multiple) Intrusions of Art Education (Paper)

Raphael Vella – University of Malta, Msida, Malta

Abstract:

This paper presents a case study of an innovative postgraduate art education unit that explored identity and history through an interdisciplinary lens, aiming to question and dismantle stereotypical understandings of concepts like nationality, territory and heritage. Designed for art education students at the University of Malta by Professor Raphael Vella & Dr Edward Duca, the unit integrated knowledge from diverse fields, including genetics, archaeology, history and contemporary art, to deepen students’ critical awareness of identity as a complex, multifaceted construct shaped by historical and scientific narratives. Under the guidance of professors from these disciplines, art educators and creative practitioners, students engaged in research that examined how concepts of identity and belonging are informed by both biological and cultural legacies, often revealing unexpected connections across time and geography. A central component of the students’ learning experience was the creation of a large mural on campus, allowing students to synthesise their insights under the guidance of an invited international mural painter and put into practice a pedagogical exercise in collaborative design. This mural also served to develop the unit’s themes into a public and more permanent dialogue piece, in an area frequently used by students, staff and visitors on campus. The study highlights the value of studio inquiry in courses for art teachers at HEIs as well as visual research methods that enrich students’ engagement with interdisciplinary approaches to art education and cross-curricular pedagogical insights. The collaborative, multimedia work and research undertaken throughout the academic year showcases how such methods encourage students to think beyond the traditional boundary of the ‘self’ and to address contemporary and historical themes collectively, as socially engaged processes that challenge prevailing narratives.