Viktoria Taucher

2.48 Encounters with the Critical Zone: Five Art Forms (and Possibly more) for Unfolding the Unknown Present (Paper)

Viktoria Taucher – University College of Teacher Education Styria, Graz, Austria

Christoph Solstreif-Pirker – University College of Teacher Education Styria, Graz, Austria

Abstract:

From day to day, people are confronted with the challenge of dealing with unexpected territories – a task increasingly perceived as overwhelming, making the growing escape from the present reality understandable yet alarming. We now ask which practices and competencies can be identified that do not negate the present but allow one to take part in it, perhaps even awakening curiosity about its unknown realms. Given their diverse methodologies, artistic subjects seem predestined for formulating such affirmative forms of thought and action. Introducing children and young adults to their inherent potentials can be ideally achieved through individual artistic (re-)search and exploration. Providing such a space for unfolding the unknown and capturing the unique experiences of such exploratory processes is a crucial attitude for future art educators. It equips them with the openness and responsibility necessary in their professional field and gives students a specific sensibility to all critical aspects of the present and future. Particularly, this exploratory attitude is expressed in the following five art forms, which we will discuss in more detail within this lecture: Mindfulness – the art of experiencing the present without judgment, being attentive to the self and the world, and perceiving, accepting, and interpreting potentials in both; Concern – the art of being touched by the unknown, staying with it, and investigating the relation between the aesthetic and the ethical beyond intentionality; Fragility – the art of understanding one’s boundaries as permeable and expandable, questioning the predominance of one’s self, and demonstrating vulnerability rather than power; Resilience – the art of facing problems with an open outcome, adapting to changing conditions, and emerging from challenges more vital than before; Appreciation – the art of recognizing and respectfully accepting individual perspectives, forms of expression and achievements, and encountering diversity and the other with an open mind and considering she/he/them as enrichment.

2.51 Entwined, Interwoven and Connected- Human and Textile Material (Paper)

Viktoria Taucher – University College of Teacher Education Styria, Graz, Austria

Abstract:

Like no other material, the medium of textiles touches the human body in different ways. In addition to the direct relationship to the individual body, textiles also form an essential part of the interaction between individuals in a society. Whether as a costume, as the string of an instrument or as a net in sport: hardly any area of our lives can do without this flexible material. In addition to the ‘second skin’ of fashion, this profound link between humanity and textile cultural techniques is also evident in mythology and everyday language. One of the most important properties of the textile material is its flexibility. More than almost any other, it is able to adapt to other forms while remaining strong and durable. Since the discovery of the structure of ‘tissue’ by the anatomist and physiologist Francois Xavier Bichat, this term has been transferred from the field of textiles to the medical field, although there are also differences: textile fabrics are characterised by their structure, different threads are bound by intersections to form fabrics. In addition, they are characterised by the specific property of ‘drape’: fabrics ‘flow’ and are flexible. In contrast to the tissue of the body, they have an edge, are conceivable in separable layers and inevitably consist of different thread systems. What significance have textiles acquired during art history in relation to the human body and in what form have they represented it? In what way can physical and psychological aspects of human individuals be artistically represented through textile materials and techniques and to which unknown territories can that lead us? In order to investigate these questions, various contemporary artistic approaches such as those of Chiharu Shiota, Jens Risch, Birgit Dieker or Agnė Juodvalkytė are used in addition to the artistic examination of the topic.