A Seminar on Love
June 26th 2007, The Institute of Education, London
Why are we not taught how to love?
A Seminar on Love from Davina Drummond on Vimeo.
‘Formal education never helps us learn how to love - instead we are taught more useful things like art history.
Young mums, firemen, doctors and even prostitutes are invited to schools give our young people advice, but couples in happy, long term relationships are rarely (if ever) invited to educate young people of their experiences, successes, trials, jubilations and strategies for coping with the most complex of human emotions; love.’
This site-specific piece, set in a seminar room, questions the relationship between contemporary theories of pedagogy and socially engaged artworks through an exploration of romantic love.
A large amount of recent educational concepts encourages teachers to develop communities of practice within the classroom and this is replicated in socially engaged art, which promotes communities of practice between its participants. Both also recognise the significance of social issues and importantly have a leader/ facilitator (the teacher or artist) and an audience (students or participants).
What happens if you mix these up and create an artwork, which takes the form of a seminar?
Who takes ownership of the project? Who has agency?
As an artist teacher whose own art practice is socially engaged and who conceives projects that intentionally blur the boundaries between education and engagement, questions of boundaries need to be asked.
© Davina Drummond 2007