Veronika Peldová

Visions of the Inner Landscape

Veronika Peldová – Department of Art, Visual Culture and Textile Studies, Faculty of Education, University of Hradec Králové, Czech Republic

Abstract:

This poster introduces a segment of the research project entitled Seeking Humanity, a collaborative effort involving educators and students from Department of Art, Visual Culture and Textile Studies, Faculty of Education, University of Hradec Králové, Czech Republic (Tereza Severová, Kateřina Štěpánková, Petra Filipová, and Tomáš Moravec). This particular study focuses on exploring human inner landscapes and imagination through an introspective approach that utilizes elements of digital creation to visualize new worlds within oneself. The main goal of the project was to discover how young people can explore their inner selves and visualize their inner spaces. The research combined surveys with action-based research centred on creative expression, during which students explored their own perceptions using digital tools. This hybrid methodology merges methods of action pedagogical research with principles of artistic inquiry, allowing for reflection on unique individual approaches to self-awareness. In the initial phase, students concentrated on visualizing personal feelings and thoughts as expressions of their inner landscapes, connecting with the poetics of works by Karel Malich. In the next phase, they used digital tools to create illusory spaces and worlds filled with recurring patterns and details, similar to the works of Yayoi Kusama. This led to experimentation with principles of space, infinity, and introspection. The final stage of the research focused on visualizing personal elements transferred into tangible objects, as a way to translate dimensions of inner reality into the physical world. The results indicate that most participants perceive their inner worlds as fluid and ever-changing, intertwined with popular culture and connected to their age group and areas of interest. The digital medium further expands the boundaries of their imagination beyond paper-based media, broadening perspectives on the human psyche and revealing new ways of looking into the depths of oneself. The repeated process of creating objects allows students to experiment and become aware of the limitations within our reality.