Spoken Spaces

New strategies for creative dialogues in art and heritage across Europe

1. hospitalfield 03.15.09 / 2pm

   Grundtvig
   (adult education)

   SPOKEN SPACES
   Experiences from
   A Grundtvig
   Education Cooperation Project

   This project’s Hungarian partner is the Fort Monostor Military Culture Center in Komárom, a structure that is extraordinary and mysterious to many. For nearly fifty years it functioned as a secret armory of the Soviet troops, and during this time it was erased from maps and from the people’s memories. A few years after the fall of communism it was opened to the public, which then began its revitalization – a long and slow process – as a center for culture and tourism. Its enigmatic character, interesting spaces and mysterious memorials, in addition to the desire for and enjoyment of adventure and rediscovery draw people here, nowadays nearly one hundred thousand visitors per year. The notes in the guest book attest to the fact that this unusual building and its natural surroundings are powerful in and of themselves, producing a genuine aesthetic experience. The fort is an inspiring and active environment that awakens one’s dormant lust for adventure.

   The assessment of artistic projects from the perspective of adult education – the first year
   The directors of the 4 European cultural centers that initiated the project agree that art – artistic creation and its perception – is not simply the prerogative of a restricted “cultured” group of people, but a hidden ability and opportunity for every sentient person. The development, reinforcing and guidance of this ability are the tasks of youth education – or should be. Unfortunately, in conjunction with the process where by the end of the 20th century even the artists themselves had become unsure of the nature of “creation” and “perception”, the role of the arts in education has also declined. Generations have grown up and are growing up believing, or having been led to believe that art is not for them, it is “not their thing”. At the same time, psychological and educational assessments both show that within every person there is a desire for the beautiful, the aesthetic experience, and the fulfillment of this desire is a natural and even necessary element of emotional balance and inner harmony. Opening a pathway for those interested to appreciate art – and in certain cases become artists themselves – builds a bridge between desire and experience, and is one of the special tasks of adult education.

   The goal of the Spoken Spaces project: experiment with artistic undertakings where even “ordinary” people who have not had any artistic training can have a powerful aesthetic experience, which in most instances they will also interpret as an important process of education.

   The first year of the Spoken Spaces education cooperation project was realized through the leadership of the British Saint Patrick of Hospitalfield Cultural Workshop, and with the participation of LandKunstleben (Bucholz) and Schloss Plüschow in Germany and the Fort Monostor Military Culture Center in Hungary. Within the context of the project the partners evaluated the educational/training dimension of the artistic projects.

   The Hungarian artistic project was the Tableau Vivant Society’s interactive, site-specific production entitled The Land of the Morfomans, which fulfilled the goals envisaged outstandingly well. The manager of the project, the director Zsófi Bérczi brought the world of the Morfomans – or one interpretation of it – to life in the fort, as an enticing utopian vision of the future (or rather a allegory of the future), with the participation of professional and amateur actors, musicians, dancers and singers. The anthropomorphic, but “faceless” and constantly shape-changing figures wrapped in colorful fabrics – the Morfomans – created surprising, but at the same time seemingly natural, group or individual scenes and vignettes on the exterior landscape and in the interior spaces. The audience observed the scenes by wandering through the exterior (green, sunny) and interior (dark, enclosed, dramatic) spaces of the fort with the director acting as the “guide”. The visit begins with viewing the initially timid Morfomans from afar, then, following their welcoming gestures and through listening to their music, leads to their full acceptance of the audience, and the audience’s rebirth as Morfomans (The audience also receives colorful Morfoman clothes), and finally they all – Morfomans and audience – join together for a “party”. In the interviews the visitors/students described their experience by saying that it was as if they had arrived in a “fairy village” and the fairies had taken them in. In addition to enjoying the excitement of discovery during the walk, and the contrasting, yet harmonious beauty of the views and scenes, the process of creating a closer relationship between the visitors and hosts caused the audience to experience the path through the interior and exterior spaces as a powerful event akin to an initiation ceremony, simultaneously eliciting cathartic aesthetic pleasure and powerful self-reflection. The “teachers” in the project were the artists who designed and guided the project and the directors of the cultural centers, while the “students” were the individuals who were brought into the processes of creation and appreciation, the residents living around the centers. Independent experts (art historians, psychologists and educators) aided in the evaluation of the creative/educational processes.

   Our everyday life in artistic projects – the second phase
   Motivated by the success of the first year of the Spoken Spaces project, the partners made a decision to continue on; in 2007 they applied again and received backing for the implementation of the second phase.

   Between 2007 and 2009, by implementing new project units for “communal artistic creative works” and evaluating our earlier experiences we would like to lay the foundations for a special (self) training method, through which even adults can learn and teach how to elicit and set into motion this “condensed process of comprehension”, along with the unlimited forms of creativity. During the second phase of the Grundtvig education cooperation project, valuable and in some ways generally applicable experience can be provided – despite the differing topics and artistic forms – in the area of reinterpreting education and (self) training as well.

   Since from the available funding transportation for large audiences cannot be provided between these sites scattered throughout Europe, we have set the goal of having the participating creative artists take part in several projects, or trying out certain projects at several sites. The measuring of results and the method of evaluation is outlined by the project leaders, artists and outside experts (educators, psychologists, etc.) through 2 or 3 meetings held during the course of implementing the individual projects at the various sites.

   The partners have selected project module topics that are found in the everyday life of the people. They have assumed that familiar “topics” and tasks inspire trust and make the participants to be included, the “pupils” and adult students, open to accepting not only artistic ideals, but also intercultural experiences.

   During these two years the partners will implement 3 creative project modules in parallel at each of the four partner sites.

   Project Green
   In the context of this project module the “students” that have been invited paint the natural “green” environment of the centers (originally castles and forts) or the impressions (abstract if they like) fostered by it on pre-prepared 50×50 cm canvases. The “teachers” directing this do not only provide the necessary equipment, but also give a detailed explanation about the goals of the project as well as about the intellectual and technical fine points of painting.

   The Fort Monostor Non-profit recruited the students who agreed to make the communal painting by placing ads in the local paper and inviting a group from the Komárom Old People’s Home. In the wake of the group painting, 11 paintings were made. Individually and separately the amateur pictures do not exhibit any particular aesthetic value, but together they do a good job of outlining the spirit of the Cultural Center and the experience provided by the surrounding natural beauty.

   Paintings on the same topic were also made at the British and German locations (10-20 per site), in a similar context to those at Komárom. The groups of paintings made at the four sites in the different countries will be exhibited at all four of the partner locations, shown and evaluated (in the context of the project) for the general public and for the participants. It will be an interesting undertaking to analyze the overall picture as an observer, in particular with respect to examining the intercultural similarities and differences. Will the differing cultural backgrounds, societal experience and ways of looking at things have an influence on the modes of expression and colors used by the amateur “artists”? Will there be any differences at all?

   The Hungarian paintings will be exhibited together with the Scottish paintings in Germany in October. Their Hungarian exhibition will take place in April of 2009 at the Fort Monostor Gallery as a part of the Komárom Days.

   Ilona Orbán, the project’s artistic director noted the following about the experience of the collective painting, “As an exercise for an international project, the interior courtyard of the fort was filled with people for an afternoon activity. After a short welcome the enterprising group comprised mostly of elderly people was ready for action. The task seemed simple at first glance, even for those who had only seen brushes and canvases at a store or as finished paintings at exhibitions. After the distribution of the accessories, and with the discussion of the tasks the brushes got underway, flitting about and sketching what they saw. No one got frightened while mixing the colors; they were only taken aback when a color other than what they would have liked found its way onto the canvas. The brightening and intensification of the greens mixed from the yellows and blues provided so many possibilities that it got the more sensitive portion of the group making beautiful, nuanced, and in spots, exciting compositions. The members of the group were thankful for and interested in each bit of advice and brush stroke shown them. There were some who were less patient and finished their work early. There were some who expressed what they saw two dimensionally, like in ancient Egyptian art. The decorative motifs of embroidery probably helped lead the artists to this way of seeing. Beautiful, rhythmic paintings were created in this manner. One part of the group constructed their pictures taking into account the rules of axonometric projection and perspective. They also put in much more time struggling for beautiful shading; they noticed the role of light and shadow with an instinctual sense and attempted to reproduce them. Essentially every member of the group was happier and jollier than they were at the beginning. Everyone was tired, since the handicapped or those suffering from sore joints had forgotten about their physical challenges during this time. In the end they posed with pleasure for the camera in front of their completed works.”

   Project Apron
   In the context of this project module the participating individuals “entered” (kitchen) aprons that they had made themselves or selected for some subjective reason for the project. At the introductory meeting the owners of the aprons filled out a data sheet, the organizers recorded the “history” of each one, which they exhibited alongside the aprons. In most cases a photo was also made of the apron and its creator or owner. The aprons, organizers, artists and apron owners (the students) were exhibited – immediately, in the context of the activity – at a joint event. In the context of Spoken Spaces a selection of the aprons will be exhibited at all four partner locations.

   Sometimes in addition to the personal sentimental links and attachments, the fortunes defined by history and society were outlined in the family stories lying behind the aprons. These background stories constitute the basis for formal and informal discussions at the events organized in the cycle of exhibit openings, providing an opportunity for the analysis of the similar or possibly quite differing changes in Hungarian, Scottish and German history. In addition to the family stories, the subject aprons also often relate back to the cultures. The indigo-dyed patterns and the embroidery can all be evaluated interculturally, as they are the imprints of the popular spirit.

   The Dumpling/Bread project
   In the context of this project module one national gastronomical creation each is prepared (with the serving and assessment together at a “festive” reception) within a genuine joint international creative process.

   The Hungarian portion was held under the professional direction of the Karzat Cultural Center Foundation at Fort Monostor, within the context of the 2008 National Baker’s Days, with the participation of Scottish and German guests (a total of 7). A tri-lingual cultural cookbook was made of the foods prepared. For a few of the participants the gathering was their first trip abroad and their first flight. The tours of Esztergom and Visegrád that were organized presented a slice of Hungarian history to the “explorers”. Bread, as a staple that plays an important role in every culture, showed its varied faces. The discussions of its preparation, the origins of the recipes, the special character of the ingredients and the folk traditions related to the types of bread represented a truly condensed intercultural learning experience for both the participants and the visitors who peeked in on the baking process.

   At the event in Scotland, at the Hospitalfield Center in September of 2008, the four member “Hungarian team” prepared Hungarian cheese dumplings together with the people preparing traditional local dishes. The project partners are elaborating on the results of the 12 member international team in a film and a cookbook.

   In the context of the Spoken Spaces project the visitors, and the amateur creative partners included in some cases, (can) learn how to accept and understand aesthetic experiences through the interactive productions that are examined and analyzed; and through the commentary and self-reflection they learn how to pay attention differently, more closely and intensely, to individual (inner) and group (social) relations. A few of them experienced for the first time in their lives the new intercultural character that emerges from the meeting and mixing of languages, traditions and attitudes, which their common European roots helped to guide them through. Their childlike wonder and astonishment, as well as their mutual laughter washed away the borders, while at the same time taught them to consciously draw closer to one another. These two abilities together can bring back the role of art’s world view – nearly thought to have been lost – into the lives of individuals to improve, purify, teach and also strengthen themselves.

   Compiled by:
   István Varga
   Director of the Fort Monostor Military Culture Center,
   Hungarian coordinator of the Spoken Spaces project
   Andrea Tóth-Lencse
   International relations officer for the Fort Monostor Non-profit company
   http://www.spokenspaces.eu

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