Education Resources for Teachers and Students

Download the full education kit HERE

Vocabulary

Activist Art: describes art that is grounded in the act of ‘doing’ and addresses political or social issues. 

Community Art: artistic activity that is based in a community setting, characterised by interactions or dialogue with the community and often involving a professional artist collaborating with people who may not otherwise engage in the arts. 

Gotong Royong: Derived from the Javanese words gotong (“work”) and royong (“together”), the term traces its origins to age-old customs where individuals collaborated in communal efforts, fulfilling social obligations within their community.

Social Turn: is a term to describe the recent (1960s) returned focus to art that is socially-engaged and community focused. (Term coined by Claire Bishop)

Socially-engaged practice: socially engaged art that is collaborative, often participatory and involves people as the medium or material of the work.

Case Study

This case study can be done as full unit or sections can be used to support a previous case study or investigation. The intention of this case study is to introduce students to various art practices that work in conjunction with community to present narratives to a wider audience. The themes explored in exhibition spans awareness of narratives of women in domestic life, nostalgia for past history and landscapes, environmental preservation, connections through traditional, religious or spiritual practices and activities, mythical creatures and views of everyday village life. Beyond these themes the exhibition and this case study focus on the collaborative and community aspect of each artists’ practice. Students seek to understand that each artists’ practice centres around bring to light the spirit of community. This resource examines how the artists;

• work within their community

• represents the livelihoods and narratives of their community

• engages in grassroots and collective ways

• capture community spirit

‘Community’ is a difficult concept to define as they are in constant evolution and flux. They are responding to shifts in politics, religion, spirituality, economics and technology as well as being a complex network of sub-communities within themselves. Additionally defining community in words, requires us to acknowledge bias and limitations within our own language. Therefore, it is argued that artists and their artworks hold the important responsibility to authentically and accurately document their communities.  

Begin with a general exploration of how art can create and communicate a sense of community. Using the below quote and suggested artworks, explore how the artists have used symbols, imagery and artistic choices to captured the community of their time and place.

‘Civilisations are not remembered by their business people, their bankers or lawyers. They’re remembered by the arts’ – Eli Broad

• Raphael, The School of Athens, 1509

• Qui Ying, Spring Dawn in the Han Palace 1552

• George Seurat, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte 1884

• Thomas Eakins, Agnew Clinic 1889

• Henri Matisse, Dance 1 1909

• Ye Qianyu, Solidarity of the Chinese People, 1953

• Ai Wei Wei, The Law of the Journey 2017

• David Boyd, Untitled (TBOMB) 2020

Next, as a class, brainstorm the aspects of community that artists might choose to document. Consider why and how they might capture these aspects. This should lead to examples about gender, religion, social experience, professions, family life, influencing students to offer artworks or artists they know of that capture the community through their works. This is an appropriate point to complete the resource’s focus activities on the selected artists. Each activity explores the practice of the artist and delves more deeply into the aspects of community they present within their works.

Gotong Royong: Community spirit in contemporary Southeast Asia presents works by 6 Indonesian artists. Examine the ways in which curators and exhibitions have the ability to capture diverse aspects and narratives within the same community by comparing and contrasting the curatorial decisions of Gotong Royong: Community spirit in contemporary southeast Asian art with the previous 16albermarle Project Space Indonesia shows Seni Baru: New Art from Bali & Bandung and Indonesia Calling 2020.

Begin by downloading the Media Kit for each exhibition. Read the curatorial statements and discuss as a class the intentions of the exhibition. Spend some time considering the events and social experiences of Indonesia and Australia at the time of the exhibitions to understand any possible agendas or goals of the artists or curators involved.

For the next activity, students can navigate across the 16albermarle Project Space exhibition pages. In groups of 2-3, choose an artist from each exhibition to compare and contrast their practice and the ways in which their works capture community spirit. Once complete come together to discuss the students findings.

You may also consider investigating the practices of Ruangrupa (Indonesia), All(Zone) (Thailand), Pangrok Sulap (Kota Kinabalu), Yo So Collective (Latin-Naam), Sa Sa Arts Projects (Cambodia), tiSamjort (Cambodia), teamLab (Japan),  Miss Rockaway Armada (USA), Gelitin (Germany), The Motel Sisters (Australia), Boomalli Aboriginal Artists’ Co-op (Australia), Unbound Collective (Australia), Neak Sophal, Sao Sreymao, JR, Pepón Osorio, Ai Wei Wei (Berlin/Chinese), Shonagh Short, Ian Nesbit, Rick Lowe, Min Ma Naing, Farwa Moledina, Nadia Hernandez, Yue Minjun.

FOCUS ACTIVITIES

Here you will find Gotong Royong: Community spirit in contemporary southeast Asian art artist questions for classroom discussions. These activities can be done individually or in connection with the suggested case study Art & Community.

Other Education Resources: