Download - Museum of Contemporary Art

PRIMARY
Thinking about it
(K-2)
What is waste What kind of things do we throw away
Look at the objects chosen by Jeanne’s participants to be exhibited
in the gallery. Objects can be special to a person for many different
reasons. Do you own something that is important to you, but might be
‘junk’ to somebody else
(3-6)
Where does waste go Research the process of waste removal and
recycling in your school or local area. Can you think of new ways to
reduce the waste you produce at school or at home
Making it
Start a collection box in your classroom and ask your classmates to
bring in clean waste and recycle items, like egg cartons, cereal boxes,
milk bottles or old newspapers. Either on your own or in groups, create
an artwork using these materials. You could hold an exhibition of your
‘trashy triumphs’!
Conduct an interview with a friend or family member and ask them
the question, ‘what do you waste’. From their response, develop an
artwork that describes your participant’s personal view towards waste.
What might be your personal view
SECONDARY
Thinking about it
(7-9)
Jeanne van Heeswijk’s project is about creating dialogue and the
possibilities for social change. What outcomes do you think she set out
to achieve through this project, if any
Do you think the project is successful in solving the problem of waste
If not, what do you think it has achieved How does the art context
of this work inform the way you interpret the information presented
through van Heeswijk’s gallery installation
(10-12)
Some of the terms used by art critics to describe the role assumed by
Jeanne van Heeswijk include ‘mediator’, ‘versatile infiltrator of public
space’ and ‘community worker’. The artist describes herself as an
‘urban curator’.
Do you think van Heeswijk’s interventions belong to the realm of art
Why
Making it
Either on your own or in a group, develop your own documentarystyle
art project that explores a significant environmental issue. What
documentary formats will you utilise – video, photography, written
texts and/or oral testimonies Don’t forget the active elements of
collecting information, such as meeting, interviewing, listening and
responding. How will you present your findings in a meaningful and
informative art installation
Prepare to make a documentary video of the waste and
recycling practices of the members of your own household. Use a
storyboard to plan how you would go about realising your project in
terms of: conducting interviews (if any), who you would film, what
you would ask them, working from script or editing live shots, camera
angles and frames, the mood you want to create, the message you
want to convey to your audience, and how you would install and
exhibit your work.
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