2009_02_04The Phoenix. a Project for and By

7/30/2019 2009_02_04The Phoenix. a Project for and By

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THE ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF MUSEUMS

The Groninger Museum, foundedin 1894 as a regional museum, has

developed into a prominent (inter)national museum since the presentnew, multicoloured post-modernbuilding was realized in 1994.The high-prole building, with itsdifferently designed pavilions in theform of a series of design objectsfrom the 1980s, was created byAlessandro Mendini in conjunction

with guest architects Michele deLucchi, Philippe Starck and CoopHimmelblau. The Museum is locatedbetween the Central Station andthe inner city and has given riseto a very lively district in terms ofurban development: a gateway tothe inner city for the large numbersof commuters and students, with areanimated shopping area around it.1

However, the success of theGroninger Museum as a majortourist attraction for the city ofGroningen is not only limited tothe impressive building and itsimmediate surroundings.The mission statement of the

Groninger Museum mentionscollecting, exhibitingandeducating

as its core tasks. And further itsays: The Groninger Museum isextrovert and multicoloured. It triesto cater for a broad public and seeksto surprise its visitors, exhortingthem to new opinions, with the help

of nationally and internationallysignicant presentations. It goeswithout saying that this is also theprincipal aim of the numerouseducational programmes involvingthe building itself and the innovativeexhibitions: to inform, to intrigue,to exhort to opinion. After all, youcannot really learn until you havefound something whether it isold or new that truly arouses

your interest and creates the needto learn more about it, to forman opinion and to voice it. TheMuseum is a living part of societyand does not use its exhibitions,the accompanying multidisciplinarypresentations and its educationalprogrammes to present cut-and-dried art-historical views; it ratherseeks to awaken interest in thevisitors and answer questions that

The Phoenix. A ProjecT for And by

ArTisTs, museums And

sPeciAl educATion

stv KolsTerenHead of Education,Groninger Museum

Groningen, The Netherlands

Groninger Museum

1Martin, M.,

Wagenaar, C.,

Welkamp, A.(eds),

Alessandro &

Francesco Mendini!

Philippe Starck!

Michele de Lucchi!

Coop Himmelblau!

In Groningen!,

Groninger

Museum,

Groningen (1994).


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REVISTA MUZEELOR

are in the mind of the people.Actors and artists draw visitors out

by means of performances withtableaux vivantsor by reciting storiesand poems referring to the objects.This way the public is challengedat exhibitions to make their owncontributions in the form of visualmaterial, poetry or short stories,which will then be judged andoffered to other visitors throughmultimedia tours. After that theprocess is repeated.2

Gvt p:a-tAccording to the current

government policy, cultural bodiesare expected to work in a moredemand-oriented way when dealingwith educational establishments.

Cultural education is becomingan increasingly important factorin education. Within the contextof the Cabinet motto workingtogether, living together, theDutch government has indicatedthat it will also give priority tocultural education in the years tocome. It is convinced that cultural

education will put young people incloser contact with fundamentalvalues in our society as well as withhistorical lines, and will also teachthem to appreciate and judge art.The nal aim is to acquaint childrenwith culture (art and heritage) in acontinuous learning process and tooffer them a varied programme ofcultural activities.3

Cultural education is understoodto mean all educational activitiesthat aim to acquaint pupils withcultural expressions in an active,receptive or reective form. It also

includes activities that add to theknow-how and ability of teachers

in this eld, and possibilities to havethe team of teachers supported byexternal experts or institutions.Cultural education extends fromvisual education, music, dance anddrama to literature, audio-visual andcultural heritage. This last categoryincludes museums, archives,archaeology and monuments.

The notion of cultural educationis interpreted in a broad sense; theidea is that the choices spring fromviews developed by the school,which are justied in the schoolscourse programme to explain howso-called core objectives are met.

Core objectives are denitionsof the knowledge, insight andskills that need to be acquired by

all pupils in primary schools in anyevent. They can be regarded astargets that schools need to strivefor in terms of pupil results.

Subject-wise, the core objectivescan be classied in six categories:Dutch, English, arithmetic andmathematics, world and socialstudies, art and physical education.

The core objectives as laid downfor the subject art are:- The pupils learn to use images,

language, music, play and motionto express feelings and experiencesand to communicate.

- The pupils learn to reect ontheir own work and that of others.

- The pupils acquire someknowledge of aspects of culturalheritage and learn to appreciatethem.4

In order to enable primaryschools to give body to their culturaleducation policy, extra funds will

2This trend is also

visible in other

museums: seeMuseumeducatie

in de praktijk.

Tendrapport

museumeducatie

2007,

Cultuurnetwerk

Nederland, Utrecht

2008.

3H.A. Plasterk,

H. A., Regelingversterking

cultuureducatie in

het PO 2008-

2011, Ministry of

Education, Culture

and Science, The

Hague (2008).

4Greven J, Letschert

J, Kerndoelen

primair onderwijs,Ministry of

Education, Culture

and Science, The

Hague (2006).


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be made available. The purposebehind this incentives measure is

that schools should increasinglydevelop lines of policy with regardto cultural education. This alsoimplies that schools develop theirown view on cultural education andits connection with other relevantareas of learning within the schoolsyllabus.

The policy of the Ministry ofEducation, Culture and Scienceon culture and education seeksto stimulate schools to work in amore demand-oriented fashion.Increasingly, the relevant funds arending their way to the schools,which can thus purchase what ison offer, or which is the object inview can indicate to the supplierof the cultural product what they

need. What is preferable in thiscontext is that the product is madein close co-operation between theschool and the cultural institution.5An obstacle is that the museumshave not received extra funds, incontrast with the schools.

A development that contributesto the strengthening of cultural

education and ensures a moredemand-oriented approach onthe part of the schools is theappointment of an Internal CulturalCoordinator (ICC).

He or she sees to it that artisticand cultural activities are given aplace of their own within primaryeducation. The ICC formulates thecultural policy and is the focal pointand driving force when it comesto organizing cultural activitieswithin the school. Further, theICC keeps in close touch withcultural institutions. For teachers

and educational staff of culturalinstitutions aspiring to become

an ICC, a special course has beendeveloped to that end.

Policies are pursued by thenational government as well as byregional authorities. The policy ofthe Province of Groningen is asfollows:

We want culture to play an evergreater part in the private lives ofpeople in Groningen; we not only wantto bring people into contact with culture,but especially want them to participateactively. We want our programmes toshow that culture range and participationare on the increase. We are convinced thatpassive participation is a precondition tofnally achieve active participation and/

or development of talent. Basically,the foundation is laid in the schools:via cultural education pupils come intotouch with art and culture and get totake part actively in their schools. Therethey become acquainted with culture, aremade curious and offered the opportunityto discover their own talents. To achieveall this, cultural education plans of the

schools are highly important.6

To a greater extent than has beenthe case of late, the provincialgovernment wants supply anddemand to be brought togetherwithin the networks in whichschools and cultural institutionsparticipate. The deciding factorhere is what the schools want: theirdemand is the guiding principle.

What is the view of the CityCouncil of Groningen on culturaleducation?

5Hagenaars, P. Doel

en streven van

cultuur en school,

Cultuurnetwerk

Nederland, Utrecht

(2007).

6MStroomversnelling2, Cultural Memo

2009-2012, Province

of Groningen,

Groningen (2008).


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REVISTA MUZEELOR

Being the local authority, we feel thatit is one of our major responsibilities

to make sure that a wide range of artforms remains accessible. Obviously, it isup to the citizens themselves to visit theseinstitutions. When it concerns childrenor young people, however, it is a differentmatter altogether. The early experienceswith art and culture play a decisive roleon childrens emotional, social and artisticdevelopment and their active participationin later years. It is common knowledgethat not all children come into touch withart and culture as a matter of course. Thisis regrettable. The school is the place parexcellence where children, regardless oftheir background, can become acquaintedwith the broad range of art and culture.To achieve this, we are making sure thatculture is given its niche in education.7

The City grant is a supplement tothe funds for cultural education thatschools receive from the nationalgovernment.

Wat qt?But what questions do teachers

particularly those working in primaryeducation, who have had no artistic

training put to the professionalsof the museum and to professionalartists? It is virtually impossible for

outsiders to formulate questionsthat make sense, certainly when it

concerns avant-garde presentations,new movements about whichinformation is still scarce, orinnovative multidisciplinary pro-jects that exceed the bounds ofdisciplines. In addition, there areall sorts of practical matters andsometimes even political or religiousideologies that may prevent pupilsfrom different target groups fromasking good questions: a nudepainting or political satire may wellput off religious communities, evenin this progressive and tolerantbut also very religious country.The institutes and artists will haveto extend a helping hand, if onlyto get a discussion going. TheGroninger Museum has developed

a remarkable project that hascombined the questions from oursociety, the wishes of the museumand the ideas of the artists in oneunique whole that may well becopied elsewhere. What does thisproject involve and why does theGroninger Museum believe thatit links up perfectly with a public-

oriented policy and that it is sospecial for the community?

Coop Himmelblau pavilion, Groninger Museum)

7Cultuurstad

Groningen,

gewoon bijzonder,

Cultural Memo of

Municipality of

Groningen 2009-2012, Groningen

(2008).


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At.T i t P

The project is called Ailihto. TheIsle of the Phoenix. It consists of ahighly imaginative installation inthe Coop Himmelblau pavilion ofthe Groninger Museum, with anextensive programme for targetgroups from special education, andwith family programmes

The original set-up of thisinstallation is as follows:

In this installation the childrenenter a new, strange world thatsurrounds them. They not onlywatch a performance, admire awork of art, listen to a concert ora storyteller. A child that visits thisexhibition will become part of anintense space where it is surroundedby light, sound, smells and images.

This way the child becomes thehero in the epic.

The installation consists of variousparts. At rst a semitranslucentblack curtain hides the works of art,although already some reectionand light are visible. The everydayworld is left behind and, like a

prince or princess in a fairy tale, thechild travels to a peculiar place.Here there are four huge dragons.In numerous myths and tales thedragon stands for evil that mustbe overcome. In some stories andcultures the dragon incorporatesgood as well as evil. The dragonis a winged creature breathing re.The dragons in this installation aredesigned quite differently. There isa red dragon conveying energy andpower, and a darting, dreamy light-blue dragon with a tail pointing tothe sky; then there is an orange

dragon that radiates warmth and isbasking in the sun, and also a bluedragon that seems to emerge fromthe sea. The dragons are severalmetres long and high. Their bodiesare designed sculpturally and aresituated in a landscape with mirrorgates.

The child is surrounded by asoundscape consisting of manydifferent layers. These sound layerscreate various atmospheres, inwhich the child hears echoes of theworlds and cultures embodied bythe dragons. There are sounds fromEgyptian music, for example, whichhas come down to us by meansof papyruses, there is the rustling

of reed and of the wind, but alsoInuit throat singing and the patterof horses hoofs, birdsong and themumbling of witch doctors. Thedragons are directed towards theearth. They are designed in such away that children can see their facesfrom their height and perspective.By means of the ever changing

lighting (computer - controlledlight machine) the dragons arerevealed step by step, while theirappearance is changing all the time.The lighting causes various effectson the material and on the colours

Red dragon with mirror gate


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REVISTA MUZEELOR

because of the kind of material(textile) and the way it has been

processed (in many, many layers).Each dragon tells a story.The children can sit down and

listen. Each dragon tells a story,a myth about the Creation ofthe world. The children are notexpected to understand everyword of the stories, which arerather meant to convey a certainatmosphere and bring all sortsof associations to mind. Lines ofpoems by children have also beenincorporated. Various voices aresounding and children will be ableto understand fragments. The talesare very evocative and rich. Theyrefer to themes such as light andre, wanting to y, longing for thesun, the passing of time. It looks

as if the dragon is dreaming andtelling stories about days longgone. Time and again these talesoffer moments of rest betweenthe periods when the children areexploring the multicoloured world

of the dragons. This way they arebetter able to concentrate and to

watch while they are listening.The Mirror Gates refer to thenature and the landscape thedragons and the children ndthemselves in. The Gates call upassociations of tropical plants andowers but also of crumbly stones.In this room the children also smelldifferent lovely scents connectedwith the myths of the Phoenix,such as the smell of lemon orrosemary. For visually handicappedchildren the Firebird is tted out insuch a way that they can also get animpression by feeling their way. Forhearing-impaired children parts ofthe story will be expressed by aninterpreter for the deaf.

The next part of the installation

includes a change-over to the imageof the Phoenix itself. In manystories and myths the emergenceof the Phoenix is a moment ofgreat signicance. It is not grantedto many to see the bird as it is very

The Firebird


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rare. Some traditions have it thatrst a worm crawls out of the

re into which the bird Phoenixhad disappeared. Then this wormbecomes feathered and growswings, and eventually it developsinto a bird. According to otherstories, the bird rst disappears forthree days before it rises again fromits own ashes. The visitors stand stillin a particular place in the room toexperience how the light changesthere. A kind of solar eclipse istaking place. The light changesfrom warm to cold, becoming blueand unreal.

After this they enter the lastpart of the installation and this isthe place where they can see thePhoenix. The design of the huge

bird suggests that it raises itself,above the earth, its tail reminiscentof a worm. Bands of light andtheatrical lighting worked into thebody are suggestive of motion.Here too the children can listento a part of the story, hear soundsand smell scents. Various storiesabout the Phoenix are given

shape in a poetic and associativemanner, along with fragments ofdifferent versions of fairy tales andsayings about the Phoenix, and itsemergence.

T attAilihto. The Isle of the Phoenixhas

been made by the artist OthiliaVerdurmen. She has described thelengthy genesis of this remarkableinstallation, providing an excellentinsight into the artists creativeprocess:

At rst I thought that the Phoenixwas red. I was trying to nd a

distinction between the structuresof the sentinels and the covertsof the Phoenix. And I wrappedand wrapped poppy-red feathersaround the birds neck.At rst I thought that the light

from the eyes was star-shaped.And I made patterns around theeyes. All I had so far was the headand it was very difcult to denethe expression, because I could notsee what the position of the neckwas in relation to the body. Thehead was so big that I could notsee the left and the right-hand sidesimultaneously.At rst I looked at the eyes of

the Phoenix. Were they really eyesthat looked at you? Was I to make

a creature for the rst time in mylife that was self-sufcient, yes,that was making no attempt at all tomake contact? To look at the sky,yes, to be the sun itself.This is how I thought at rst and

every day I wore my large red apronwith traces of glue, clay, paint andhere and there a silver glitter. Out-

of-place stars in red muddy earth.Stars that had casually fallen fromthe sky, and only a child couldunderstand that those tiny glitterswere stars.

The Phoenix was so big thatI could not possibly grasp thewhole bird outright, and every dayI hoped to nd a golden trail thatsimply had to be followed. But itwould take a long time and I hadto go on looking, scattering aroundthe disconnected structures, whichI had been working on for weekson end, on the Phoenix, without


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any consistent thought. And I wassmall and I was big.

I saw that the colour red, sohigh in the sky, was wrong. Iremembered that at one time thehead was suspended high in mystudio. An ever changing light wasshining on the golden back of thePhoenixs head. Then, all at once, Isaw a planet up in the sky!

Yes, the back of the birds headwas a planet and the lashes were likea streak of stars. And I understoodthat the Phoenix so high in thesky also embodied a connectionbetween heaven and earth. I triedto take in this image of the oatingplanet, in the depth of my being. Itwas a sunny day, but the curtains inmy studio were closed and there I

was, sitting in a blacked-out room.There was this concentration thatcan suddenly afford a deep andclose insight. If you are very happywith what you see and allow it toenter your innermost being, youwill nd a trail. The more youlter out the outside world, thehigher your chances of nding a

trail in the dark. You will not ndit in noise and light, but rather inloneliness and silence. The blackeryour environment, the more eachtiny pin-prick of light will catch theeye and tell you what to do.

In the barn I understood that thered could only occur in the lowerparts of the Phoenix. Red is theearth and red in the sky made thePhoenix heavy, whereas I wantedto achieve lightness! I was going toremove all I had made so far andstart all over again. In my studioI had a couple of spare eyes. So I

painted and painted, holding the eyebefore the torch and trying to nd

out where the light came from thatshone from the eye. I knew exactlywhat eyes I was looking for, butI could create only one derivativeof those eyes. There is alwaysthe limitation of the pigments inthe paint, the transparency andsmoothness of the polyester baseform. I sanded and sanded until .an intricate network emerged thatallowed the light to emanate.

As soon as the birds head wasback in my studio, I carried out aneye-lid correction. Everything wasremoved. The feathers, the leather,the eyes that were still empty.Everything off and now rebuildit very, very patiently.

And at the same time the idea forthe feathery structure was born. Ihad discovered that real featherswere far too coarsely structured, as itwere, to lend lightness and eleganceto the Phoenix. Suddenly my eye fellon a golden plastic material with asnakeskin print. I covered it withtransparent spangles in different

tints. To my surprise the snakeskinpattern adapted its colouring to thechanging light shining on it. Now Ihad my magic bird and I was veryhappy with the delicate balancebetween the light from inside andthat from outside. Two effects thatare likely to diminish each othersstrength if applied without subtlety.I looked forward to the story that

I could visualize by means of thevarious effects.

A creation is no good until Ihave come to love it a little. Andthis does not usually happen until Ihave managed to fathom its nature


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and character sufciently to beable to achieve a logical structure

in the design. I had now found anumber of fundamental imagesthat gave me a push in the rightdirection. First of all, the image ofthe planet, then the sun around theeyes and the multicolouredness inthe structure of the feathers thatwould add something intangible tothe Phoenix.

I found that the regular structureof the feathers and the abstractionof the plumage would intensify thesymbolic value of the Phoenix. Itwas not to become a big realisticuffy bird no, it was to be animpalpable myth. The diagram ofthe plumage stirs the imaginationrather than give an interpretation.I was also happy with the gigantic

wings, which through their positionand lineation lent credibility tothe belief that the Phoenix couldactually y! In spite of the open linestructure, the wings were powerfuland dynamic.

I also found that from the pointwhere the neck begins, I couldmake the structure run upwards

and in contrast - downwardsfrom the head. This would causethe Phoenix to get out of its ownshell, as it were, giving rise to aninteresting interplay of forces.

It was a play of gravity. The glassbeads emphasized the downwardaspect, making it look as if copperames framed the neck like anascending crown.

If you want to build a Phoenix,many questions are awaitinganswers. Does it come from there, or is it re itself? This is a very

essential difference. It occurred tome that the Phoenix comes from

re, but need not necessarily bemade of the same substance. Mymain challenge was in the ying.How could I give a creature ofsuch dimensions and wingspreadthe suggestion of lightness? Densewings would t in badly with the restof my project. I also realized thatdense wings would come across astremendously massive. Openworkwings, however, must be composedof a careful interplay of lines. Moreoften than not the laws of natureturn out to be surprisingly logicaland wings with holes are simplynot very helpful when it comes togliding with the wind. Therefore Iexamined the bones and musclesthat make up a wing. I used this

knowledge to develop an interplayof lines with enough lift to evokethe suggestion of ying.

Now that I had made it mychallenge to let the gigantic birdcome out of the re with a strongsuggestion of lightness, I wantedto make sure that there were asfew places as possible where the

re touched the bird, to support itfrom the bottom up. This requireda very balanced form. The Phoenixwas different on all sides when youwalked around it. The left wingseemed to extricate itself, like ahand that you pull out of dough.The wing ended up close to theground, without actually touchingit. The right wing was free in theair. I wanted to see the Phoenix atthe very moment of ying up. Thetension in the muscles, the positionof take-off, the head already liftedup to heaven in delirious joy,


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everything full of new young life.The breast thrust forward in all

vulnerability, the way animals dowhen they feel safe and secure.The body was heart-shaped and

open at the back, in the same waythat the sentinels had egg-shapedopenings. A shape that was notcompact, but that you could lookinto to nd a mysterious cavity. Thecavity that is home to the unknown,the beginning of everything. Andeverything was xed to the heart:the wings, the neck and the tail.Everything is xed to the heart.Even the position of the hearton the re was slightly obliqueand inclining to the left, similarto the position of the heart in thehuman chest. The tail was raisedup on the left-hand side, touching

the ground in the middle. And onthe right-hand side, the tail cladin exuberant billowing feathers pointed downwards. This way,the Phoenix was full of life andcompletely dynamic, as you can bemad with the joy of living at the startof something new. Yet that new lifecomes with a primal scream, and

the frantic tension just before therelease into the wide skies comesclose to birth pangs. This to meseemed the most exciting momentof the Phoenix.

So there it was, on the re, inall its strength and greatness. Andonce again I was small and I wasbig. I saw what it would cost tocomplete this gigantic work. Inattempting to achieve lightness, Ihad to toil. Underneath the heart, inand around the heart, between theirons and with frayed ends hangingfrom my ngers. But what is it

compared to the awesome visionthat was nearing its completion

after three years? What is it afterthe sentinels had waited for theemergence of the Phoenix? AndI worked on my island, where thesentinels were quiet underneaththeir dark-blue cloths and wherethe mirror gates had let me throughto allow me, after all those years,to discover the Phoenix. Yes, thatexpectation that eventually I wouldsee its completion, gave me wings.

Besides the capricious spatialshapes of the re, the lightincreasingly formed my startingpoint. How could I build up there in such a way that I couldincreasingly allow the light to doits work as I got higher and higher?

It was extremely exciting. At rst Iwas so fascinated by the threads oflight and their colour possibilitiesthat it seemed almost a sin to coverthe light with my re structures.In contrast to textile, which is aseasonal product, you use light tomix every colour you want!

Of course I can evoke colours by

the combination of materials andstructures. Ultimately, colour is alsoa vibration, as is light, but becausetextile has much more mass thanlight it is also more unyielding and itoccasionally requires a challengingquest to nd exactly the propercombination of materials to realizea certain effect.

And thus, mass, transparencyand light were the componentsthat I worked with. Everything wasnew, the balance between them,the light that was so much more


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impressive when covered withblack because the contrast was then

greater as well as the enchantmentof the changing light. The re wascompletely exotic and hypnotizing.

The composition of my Phoenixconsists of three elements, whichare interwoven with one another:the re, on which the Phoenixrests, the Phoenix itself, and thepalm nest. I wished to make a cleardistinction between the elements interms of colour and elaboration.You could see the re through thetail of the Phoenix. It is easy to loseall orientation in the confusion oflines and colour, certainly if thereare many nuances in the colours.You can be so subtle that everythinggravitates together. That is why I

use bold uorescent pink as a nalcolour wash over the palm leavesfor example, and canary yellow forthe re. Although these coloursare opposites and are actuallyhard colours, they draw attentionto rened structures with theirintensity, and make a distinctionbetween the various sections. It is a

structure of layer upon layer. Lightguides the eye. Colour guides theeye.

This was the way the Phoenixwas on the last day.

The last day, the day I began onthe wings. I began with the wingsand they were golden. When Ideparted I suddenly saw whereblack had to be in the bird. Gold

and black. Gleaming, excitingred through transparent black.Gleaming through black. I wasfascinated.

But fate seizes you ate unexpectedmoments.

Then something occurred thatseemed impossible in view of the

powerful, creative ow the previousday. Yes, if your hands have becomebutteries that can cross even anocean on the wind, if you are sovulnerable and insignicant as weas humans actually are, if you havedecided to surrender yourself to thewind of your ideas, the waters ofyour visions, and the earth is to youa place where the sparks of yourspirit can build a new world, if youare so great and so vulnerable atthe same time, you cannot imaginethat everything can be destroyed ina second.

I arrived on my bicycle and wasconfronted by the total devastationof my studio, my island, where foryears and years the Phoenix was

planned to arise.There stood the skeletons of my

sentinels, the heart of the Phoenix,where a wing still stuck out, icicleslike stalactites under the head ofthe orange sentinel .. The curl ofthe red sentinel still stood bravelyerect to tell me that his spirit wasnot dead.

The sound of running water anddripping. The ash and the black.When I saw it, everything wentblack. Then I lost a couple ofdays.

But I returned one day. It wasthen that I suddenly experiencedthe tenderness of death.

I immediately began to makeplans. How could I secure thecarcass as quickly as possible, andwould the textiles that I used stillbe available in black and grey, andthose beads in gleaming white? And


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REVISTA MUZEELOR

I had to have the glass beads, evenif they are expensive, as they reectthe light in an amazingly beautiful

way. The light threads will be placedin the heart, in the heart and I take

a right-angle grinder and make ahole in it! Out of this, yes, out ofthis allow a new bird to emerge. A

foetus as it were. And the light ofthe old bird wanes slowly as if itis dying while the light in the newbird slowly waxes. I can hardly keepup with this powerful ow and Iam transported by something thatis much greater than myself. ThePhoenix!

It is just a day in the life of the

Phoenix. A normal day. That issimply what a Phoenix does. It diesand changes. (23 February 2009)

After the dramatic re in theartists studio, at the beginning of2009, she began all over again. Or,more precisely, continued with thecreative process. The Phoenix,destroyed by re, rises from the ashes

and begins a new life. The previousinstallation is continued in the newisland, and the past documentedin a book, which is the source ofthe above text. The sentinels are nolonger needed, but the mirror gates

The Fire

Artist Othilia Verdurmen

bids the Firebird farewell


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return for a kaleidoscopic effect.The re from which the Phoenix

rises is represented by new lightingeffects, inspired by soap bubbles.The artist carefully wraps layersof textile around light sources sothat an even stronger play of light-blocking textile and light-revealingre. In December 2010 the newinstallation will be completelynished.

spa- atDuring the above-described

generative process of the ins-tallation, the Groninger Museumdeveloped an educational pro-gramme, in conjunction with theartist, in which the main targetgroup consisted of children fromprimary school, partly on the basis

of the artists previous experienceswith the way children react toher work. The Museum began toresearch which core objectives theproject could harmonize with, andwhich demands were current ineducation. It soon became evidentthat there was primarily a connectionwith demand from an educational

target group that has difculty inmaking use of what a museumregularly offers namely special-needs education. Very specicdemands are extremely topical inthis large group. In co-operationwith teachers and specialists fromthis educational area in particular,a unique whole has arisen, in whichthe artist, museum professionals

and educational experts supportedand steered one another.

From the 19th century onward,there has been education for

children with a sensory and/ormental handicap. Since the rst

compulsory education law in1901, this special-needs educationhas developed itself substantially.In 1927, Special Primary Schooleducation (BLO) was introduced.Until 1985, this was dealt with underthe Primary School Education Act.

1985 saw the introduction of theInterim Law for Special Educationand Secondary Special Education(ISOVSO). Until 1995, this Actregulated education given to thedeaf and hard-of-hearing, the blindand visually impaired, those withmultiple disabilities, the chronicallyill, children with learning difculties(MLK) or children with problemswith learning or upbringing(LOM).

In 1995, special educationunderwent major changes in ajuridical respect.The project entitled Going to

School Together Again ensured thatregular primary school educationand special education were broughtcloser together.The education for children with

learning difculties, up to the age of12 years, children with difcultieswith learning and with upbringing,up to the age of 12 years, and infantswhose development is threatened(IOBK) are now included underthe category of Special PrimarySchool Education, along withregular primary school education,and both are governed by the lawon Primary Education (WPO)

Secondary Special Education forchildren with learning difculties(VSO-MLK) and SecondarySpecial Education for pupils


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with difculties with learningand upbringing (VSO-LOM) are

now included along with regularsecondary school education underthe law on Secondary Education(WVO).

Children who cannot followeducation at WPO or WVO levelcan attend (Secondary) SpecialEducation. The decision can alsobe taken to enrol a pupil with apupil-related budget (LGF or abackpack) at a school for regularprimary school education. Anindependent Indication Committee(CVI) determines if a pupil isentitled to this option.

(Secondary) Special Educationis included under the Law onExpertise Centres (WEC) and is

subdivided into four clusters:

Cluster 1: education to visuallyimpaired children or childrenwith multiple disabilities and thisimpairment,

Cluster 2: education to deafchildren, hard-of-hearing children,and children with serious speaking

difculties, or children withmultiple disabilities with one ofthese impairments,

Cluster 3:education to chronicallyill children with a physical disability,children with physical disabilities,and children with serious learningdifculties, or children withmultiple disabilities with one ofthese impairments, and

Cluster 4:education to chronicallyill children other than hose with aphysical disability, children whoexperience great difculty with theirupbringing, and children in schoolrelated to pedagogical institutes.

Each cluster has schools spreadthroughout the country. In each

region, the schools in one clusterwork in co-operation. In this way,knowledge and expertise can becombined. Accordingly, we speakof Regional Expertise Centres(REC).

In each region there is an activeREC Cluster 2, Cluster 3 andCluster 4. Cluster 1 has a differentorganizational form and is includedunder overarching organizationssuch as Visio, Bartimus andSensis.

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Concrete activities have beendeveloped for the project inconjunction with the cluster

teachers. Every group that willbe visitingAilihto. The Island of thePhoenixwill be given a workshop inthe school classroom by a museumteacher. Didactic material that isattuned to the core objectives ofthe cluster to which the groupbelongs will be produced for thispreparatory workshop.

Each point of address for theeducation provided to childrenfrom the various clusters will betaken from the core objectives ofspecial education:

governmental policy aims atthe emancipation, integration andnormalization of people with adisability. The core aims in this arethe stimulation of the sensory andhuman locomotor developmentand social-emotional development.Pupils learn to deal with their ownpossibilities and limitations, withself-condence and self-esteem,


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and learn to express their ownwishes, feelings and opinions.

It is important that children arestimulated, that their inquisitivenessis aroused, and that they orientthemselves to nature and thesurrounding world.

Senses such as smell, touchand hearing (in visually impairedchildren for instance) ought tobe stimulated. Children with anauditory impairment must have theopportunity to use appliances andto gain access to what is on offer inother ways.

Pupils should learn tocomprehend visual possibilities,and to study various materials onthe basis of the aspects of colour,form, rhythm, space, texture and

composition. It is worthwhilestimulating the imagination of thepupils and helping them to expresstheir feelings and to shape theirideas.

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The didactic material dovetails

with the core objectives and thespecic qualities of children inthe various clusters. In addition,didactic material will be developedthat can be used by children inregular education.

The theme offers many pointsof address that will be covered inseparate workshops or parts ofthese.

The workshops will be heldin school. They form a singleentity with the experience of theinstallation in the Museum andwill be used as preparation in

principle. They will be given bythe regular team of teachers of

the Groninger Museum (didacticand visually educated) and/orthe artists (including an aromaworkshop). Schools can make useof the workshops in various waysaccording to their requirements: asdirect preparation for the Museumvisit or as a series of lessons inwhich the various experiences(listening, looking, smelling) are thefocus of attention.

The Museum teachers are ideallysuited to give workshops to a teamof school teachers, after whichthey can apply parts in their ownprogramme. It is possible to extendthe workshops into a programmefor a longer period. In this way,

adequate integration is realizedbetween the teaching programmeand the core objectives, whilea new interaction between theMuseum teachers and the teachersin special and regular educationalso arises. The intention is torealize extreme exibility whentting in the workshops at school

and also to bring about seamlessintegration with the content ofthe core objectives at school andthe specic installation in theGroninger Museum.

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In view of the specic expertiseof the teachers from the clusterareas, the workshops will bedeveloped further in close co-operation with the teachers. Afterall, they know exactly the qualities


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REVISTA MUZEELOR

and the restrictions of the individualpupil. In the meantime, contact has

been established and discussionsheld with all teachers from all thecluster areas. These areas cametogether for a meeting for the rsttime. Normally, the various clustersdo not come into contact with oneanother. For the schools, this wasan inspirational experience. It canlead to far-reaching co-operation inthe future.

1. ltgThe class listens to the

soundscapes in advance. Adaptedversions will be made for sometarget groups. Children listen to thesound fragments and react by:

- making a drawing of thegenesis of the world

- philosophizing on the basis ofquestions and proposals about thestory

- dancing or moving to themusic and the sounds from thesoundscape

- writing their own poem aboutthe sun, the sea or the moon, thenight or the stars.

2. lkgThis assignment is meant to

prepare children for looking at themany colours, forms, and layers inthe installation.

- with various materials (paper,textile, cardboard, paint, colouredpencils, foil) the children makepieces of work consistently basedon a single colour: in other words,red, orange, green and light-blue

- they discuss their associationswith that colour

- they combine the various

pieces of work into a landscape- they illuminate this landscape

with a torch and study how colourreacts to light

3. sg- the children smell various

aromas (ginger, a lily, herbs, soap,coffee, wood, vanilla)

- they discuss the association- they are given information and

background stories with regard tosmells

- they are given information onthe Phoenix smell (according totradition, it built a nest of certainherbs)

- they learn to make an aromathemselves

4. P

- the children listen to thesoundscape on the Phoenix

- stories and fairytales about thePhoenix are read out loud

- the children discuss themesfrom the stories and myths

- the children make wings fromvarious materials

- the children photograph

themselves (and each other) withwings (and make-up)- the children make and egg and

paint it

5. dag- various stories about dragons

are read out loud- every child makes his/her own

dragon (material choice dependson the possibilities of the child andthe time available)

- every child makes up a storyabout his/her dragon. What is thedragons name? Where does he


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live? What does he like? What isinside his egg?

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The workshops and theinstallation Ailihto. The Island ofthe Phoenix distinguish themselvesin a number of respects from thecommon assortment in the eld ofart education for children.

Due to the nature, set-up andsize of the installation, the visitoris fully captivated. The installationmakes an appeal to all of thevisitors senses (sound, image, smell,touch). The visitor experiencesthe exhibition in a direct, physicalmanner. The children visit theinstallation under the supervisionof a Museum teacher, who

activates the programme of theinstallation according to a schedule.In other words, sound, smelland illumination run accordingto a schedule. The story is toldand experienced within a certaintimespan in a theatrical setting.

In the regular provision ofworkshops, these are a preparation

or assessment of the exhibition inthe Museum, which is the focus ofattention. The Museum teacherssupervise pupils at the exhibitionwith an educational teachingdiscussion and a creative processingassignment in the studio of theMuseum itself. These componentsare reasonably independent of oneanother and can also be booked

separately.In the Ailihto. The Island of the

Phoenix project, all the parts havebeen blended into a whole, bythe artists, teachers and Museumeducators.

The processing material goesfurther than usual. The child is

addressed as an artist and as ahuman. Major themes are touchedupon, such as the genesis of theworld, the triumph over evil (thedragon), the longing to y, theyearning for light. The themecomprises numerous referencesto myths and fairytales fromvarious cultures and, as such, tsin with the notion that art can bean experience that touches uponthe magical working of rituals andthe Great Stories that can raisehumans above themselves. Theworkshops and supervision in theMuseum ensure that children canassociate freely with the materialprovided and gain inspiration intheir own way and at their own

level. This is justied by the poemsthat young autistic children writeabout the genesis of the world, forexample, or the intense expressionof some of the childrens drawingsabout their dreams.

i aWith this large-scale project, the

Groninger Museum deliberatelyattempts to reach new targetgroups in a structural way. Theexperiences of co-operation in therealization of the workshops atschool and in the Museum, and thepractical experiences of the schoolworkshops and the experience ofthe installation in the Museum, willlead to a structural assortment.All too often, a somewhat

adapted version of the programmesfor regular education is provided.Moreover, it is true that thedemand from special education is


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REVISTA MUZEELOR

not yet so great that time and spacehave to be made free in museums

to develop special programmesto accompany an exhibition orclarify a building. However, this isthe way a vicious circle is created:little supply little demand littlesupply. The Phoenix project workson a completely different principle.The installation and the experienceof the installation, the educationworkshops as preparation, and theMuseum visit itself deliberatelyform a total artwork and totalexperience in which the artists(image, sound, smell), Museumteachers and educators fromthe Museum and teachers fromspecial education co-operate ona completely equal footing. Theresult of this will be visible in all

sections of the project. There isthus no mention of hierarchy on asuccession of autonomous art work what could museum educationdo with that? What could specialeducation do with it?

Instead of an increasinglyfurther simplication of the visual

language and information, stratiedstructures and various applicationpossibilities are created.

Not only teachers and fellowMuseum educators but also artistscan learn from this and becomeconvinced that that this kind ofapproach can be interesting. Afterall, the nal result is a project that isusable at several levels, and will alsobe presented at several locations.

The installation will be on displayin the Groninger Museum fromDecember 2010 / January 2011and, complete with the educationalproject, will travel on to the RijksMuseum Twenthe in Enschedefrom summer 2011 onward, and

then to other museums, in theNetherlands or abroad, if they areinterested.


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Muzeul din Groningen, fondatn 1894 ca muzeu regional, s-adezvoltat ca muzeu (inter)naionalimportant ncepnd cu anul 1994cnd a fost construit noua cldirepost-modern, multicolor. ns la

succesul muzeului nu au participatdoar cldirea, creat de AlessandroMendini mpreun cu arhiteciiMichele de Lucchi, PhilippeStarck i Coop Himmelblau, imprejurrile muzeului - o zonfoarte vie a oraului, ci i activitilemuzeului, create potrivit misiuniisale.

Misiunea muzeului i-a asumatca direcii principale colecionarea,realizarea de expoziii i educaia.Muzeul din Groningen esteextravertit i multicolor. Elncearc s i ofere serviciile unuipublic larg i caut s i surprindvizitatorii, ndemnndu-i la opiniinoi, cu ajutorul unor prezentri

semnicative din punct devedere naional i internaional.Programele educative desfuratei care implic att cldirea, ct iexpoziiile, au aceleai scopuri:de a informa, de a intriga, de andemna la opinie. Muzeul seconsider o parte vie a societii ii implic activ vizitatorii, trezindu-

le interesul, rspunzndu-le lantrebri i angajndu-i n diferiteactiviti. Vizitatorii sunt provocais i aduc propriile contribuii laexpoziii, sub forma materialuluivizual, a poeziei sau a scurtelor

povestiri care sunt apoi evaluatei oferite altor vizitatori prin tururimultimedia.

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Conform politicii guvernamentaleolandeze n vigoare, se ateapt caorganizaiile culturale s lucrezentr-o modalitate orientat mai multspre cerere atunci cnd au de-a facecu uniti educaionale.

Educaia cultural devine unfactor din ce n ce mai important neducaie i este ncurajat de guvern,pentru a aduce tinerii n contact cuvalorile fundamentale ale societiii cu reperele istorice i pentru a inva s aprecieze i s judece arta.Scopul ultim este s i familiarizezepe copii cu art i patrimoniucultural, ntr-un proces continuu denvare i s le ofere un programvariat de activiti culturale.

Educaia cultural este neleas ca

totalitatea activitilor educaionalecare au ca scop familiarizarea elevilorcu expresiile culturale ntr-o formactiv, receptiv sau reectiv. Eainclude, de asemenea, activitilecare aduc un plus de cunotinepractice i abiliti profesorilor dindomeniu, precum i posibilitipentru echipa de profesori de a

sprijinit de ctre experi sauinstituii externe. Educaia culturalcuprinde educaia vizual, muzica,dansul, teatrul i literatura, dar ipatrimoniul audio-vizual i cultural.n aceast ultim categorie se gsesc

Phoenix-ul. un Proiect Pentru i de

artiti, muzee i educaie sPecialstv KolsTeren


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REVISTA MUZEELOR

muzeele, arhivele, arheologia imonumentele.

Educaia cultural promovatde guvern are la baz programacolar i obiectivele sale cadru dinnvmntul primar. Astfel, colilesunt nanate de guvern pentrua-i ndeplini obiectivele educaieiculturale i sunt ncurajate s idezvolte propriile viziuni despreaceasta. n consecin, produsul(cultural) este de preferat s erealizat ntr-o strns cooperare ntrecoal i instituia cultural. n acestsens, colile au cte un CoordonatorCultural Intern (CCI) care are grijca activitile culturale i artistices-i primeasc locul bine-meritatn educaia primar, formulndpolitica cultural i mobiliznd iorganiznd activitile culturale din

coal. Mai mult, CCI ine legturacu instituiile culturale.

Politicile urmrite de guvernsunt, de asemenea, aplicate ide autoritile regionale. PoliticaProvinciei Groningen are ca scopparticiparea activ a locuitorilorla cultur, care s ocupe un rolimportant n viaa acestora. Pentru

a ajunge la acest el este necesar caoamenii s e nvai, acomodai,fcui curioi i interesai de culturnc de mici: prin educaia culturalde la nivelul nvmntului primar.Aceasta se desfoar deci dupcererea formulat de coli prinspecialitii si n educaie cultural.Chiar i primria din Groningensprijin aceast form de educaie, ncoli, prin declaraii i prin fonduri.

c b?n procesul de cooperare, ns,

personalul colii, chiar i cel

specializat, nu are n totalitatepregtirea necesar de a pune

ntrebrile potrivite artitilor imuzeului. De aceea, pentru anlesni procesul, artitii i instituiileculturale sunt cei care le ntindo mn de ajutor. n acest sens,Muzeul din Groningen a realizatun proiect remarcabil ce a reuits mbine mbucurtor ntrebrileprovenind de la societate cuaspiraiile muzeului i cu ideileartitilor. Ce implic acest proiecti de ce consider Muzeul dinGroningen c se leag perfect cuo politic orientat spre publici c este att de special pentrucomunitate?

At. ia P-Proiectul se numete Ailihto.

Insula Phoenix-ului i const ntr-oinstalaie foarte imaginativ npavilionul Coop Himmelblau alMuzeului din Groningen, cu unprogram extensiv pentru grupurile-int din educaia special i cuprograme pentru familii. Intrndn aceast instalaie, copiii intrntr-o lume nou i ciudat; nu

urmresc numai o reprezentaie,admir o oper de art, ascult unconcert sau un povestitor, ci devinparte a unui spaiu intens n caresunt nconjurai de lumin, sunet,mirosuri i imagini. n acest fel,copiii devin eroii epopeii.

Instalaia este format din maimulte pri. Pentru nceput, copilultrece printr-o cortin neagr semi-transparent ce ascunde operele deart, lsnd n urm lumea cotidiani intrnd ntr-o lume de basm. Aicintlnete patru dragoni uriai, deciva metri lungime i nlime,


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proiectai sculptural i situai ntr-un peisaj cu pori oglindite. Fiecare

dragon are cte o culoare i conferanumite puteri cldur, visare,energie, zbor

Copilul este nconjurat de unpeisaj sonor pe mai multe straturi,care creeaz diferite scene carel transport pe copil n lumile iculturile ntruchipate de dragoni.Acetia sunt orientai spre pmnti sunt astfel proiectai nct copiluls-i poat vedea din perspectivai de la nivelul su. Prin luminamereu schimbtoare, dragonii suntdezvluii pas cu pas, n timp cenfiarea li se schimb de ecaredat. Lumina produce diferiteefecte pe material i pe culoridatorit tipului de material (textil) imodalitii n care a fost prelucrat(n foarte multe straturi).

Fiecare dragon spune o poveste,un mit despre Crearea lumii, pecare copiii o pot asculta stndaezai. Nu toate cuvintele sunt deneles pentru copii: scopul estemai degrab de a crea o anumeatmosfer i de a induce diferiteasociaii de idei. n text au fost

inserate, de asemenea, i fragmentede poeme scrise de ctre copii. Seaud mai multe voci i copii vorputea nelege doar fragmente, nspovetile sunt foarte evocative ibogate i se refer la teme precumlumina i focul, dorina de a zbura,dorul de soare, trecerea timpului.Pare ca i cum dragonul ar visa iar povesti despre zile demult apuse.

Din cnd n cnd, aceste povetiofer momente de odihn ntreperioadele n care copiii exploreazlumea multicolor a dragonilor,pentru a-i face s se poat concentra

i s priveasc n timp ce i ascult.Porile Oglindite fac referire la

natura i la peisajul n care dragoniii copiii se gsesc. Ele trezescasociaii cu plante i ori tropicale,dar i cu pietre sfrmicioase. Totn aceast camer, copiii pot mirosidiferite arome minunate legatede mitul lui Phoenix, cum ar mirosul de lmie sau rozmarin.Pentru copiii cu deciene vizuale,Pasrea de Foc este n asemeneafel potrivit nct ei s poat s-icreeze o impresie simind drumul.Pentru copiii cu deciene auditive,pri ale povetii sunt exprimatemimico-gestual de un interpret.

Urmtoarea parte a instalaieiinclude o trecere la imagineaPhoenix-ului nsui. n multepoveti i mituri, apariiaPhoenix-ului este un moment demare importan. Nu este ceva cemuli pot vedea, cci este foarterar. Unele tradiii spun c o rmse trte din focul n care disprusePhoenix-ul, care capt apoi pene ii cresc aripi, dezvoltndu-se n nalntr-o pasre. Alte poveti spun cumpasrea dispare nti n foc, pentru

a renate apoi din propria cenu.Vizitatorii stau linitii ntr-un locanume din ncpere pentru a triexperiena schimbrilor de luminde acolo. Are loc un fel de eclipsde soare, pe msur ce lumina trecede la cald la rece, devenind albastri ireal.

Dup aceasta, vizitatorii ajungn ultima parte a instalaiei, undentr-adevr pot vedea Phoenix-ul.Felul n care este construit enormapasre sugereaz c ea se nal,deasupra pmntului, cu coada ncasemntoare cu a unei rme. Benzi


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de lumin i iluminarea teatral dinnuntrul corpului ei sugereaz

micarea. i aici, copiii pot ascultao parte de poveste, pot auzi diferitesunete i mirosi arome. Mai multelegende despre Phoenix prindform ntr-o modalitate poetic iasociativ, mpreun cu fragmentedin diferite basme i zictori desprePhoenix i apariia sa.

AttAilihto. Insula Phoenix-ului a fost

creat de Othilia Verdurmen.Ea a descris procesul ndelungatde genez a acestei remarcabileinstalaii, oferind o excelentnelegere a procesului creativ alartistului. Ea povestete cum i-aimaginat nti Phoenix-ul ca indrou i avnd anumite caracteristici;

cu timpul ns, viziunea i s-aschimbat, i a refcut ceea ceconstruise pn atunci pentru a facemiastra s se nale, s e auto-sucient, s fac legtura ntrecer i pmnt, s o fac luminoas,multicolor, uoar i plic de via.Ea a reuit s-i creeze o imaginedespre natura i caracterul psrii,

a ajuns s-i iubeasc opera, pentrua-i putea da exact acea form istructur de care avea nevoie. Areuit s dea form subtil mitului,provocnd imaginaia. Rezultatul: ooper de art simbolic, puternici vie, dinamic, ce mbin masa culumina i transparena. ns destinulei a ajuns s e asemntor cu cel alpsrii nsei: un incendiu a distrusn mare parte atelierul artistei.Aadar, dup mai muli ani de lucrui dup foc, opera ei a renscut dincenu pentru a cpta forma nal,nc i mai puternic dect nainte.

Procesul continu nc, instalaiaurmnd s e complet terminat n

decembrie 2010.

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n timpul procesului constructivi creativ al instalaiei, Muzeul dinGroningen a dezvoltat mpreuncu artista un program educaionalal crui principal grup-int lconstituie copiii din clasele primare,

n parte datorit experienelorprecedente ale artistei cu felul ncare copiii reacioneaz la operaei. Muzeul a nceput s cercetezecare obiective curriculare s-ar puteaarmoniza cu proiectul i ce fel decereri educaionale exist. Curnd adevenit evident c exist o legturputernic cu un grup-int care,

de obicei, are diculti n a folosiceea ce ofer de regul un muzeu copiii cu nevoi speciale. Cererilefoarte specice sunt actuale pentruacest grup larg. n cooperare cuprofesori i specialiti din aceastzon educaional, n mod special,s-a nscut un tot unic, n careartista, profesioniti muzeali i

experi educaionali s-au sprijinit ighidat unii pe alii.ncepnd din secolul al XIX-lea,

educaia pentru copiii cu diversehandicapuri a intrat sub autoritatelegislativ i a trecut prin numeroasemodicri i mbuntiri, pentruca n prezent s primeasc suboblduirea sa copii cu decienesenzoriale, deciene mintale,deciene asociate, copii bolnavicronic, cu diculti de nvarei/sau educaionale. Din 1995, s-arecurs la educaia integrat pentrucopiii cu diculti de nvare


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i educaionale. Acei copii carenu pot participa la acest tip de

educaie pot urma colile speciale.Departajarea se face de ctre ocomise independent. Educaiaspecial (la nivel de coal general)este mprit pe categorii, n funciede specicul decienelor: (1)pentru copii cu deciene vizualesau cu multiple dizabiliti i acesttip de decien; (2) pentru copiicu deciene de auz, cu dicultigrave de vorbire, sau cu dizabilitimultiple care includ i una dintreaceste deciene; (3) pentru copiibolnavi cronic cu o dizabilitatezic, copii cu dizabiliti zice, icopii cu diculti grave de nvare,sau copii cu dizabiliti asociate careinclud i una dintre decienele demai sus; (4) pentru copii bolnavi

cronic alii dect cei cu dizabilitizice, copii care ntmpin maridiculti n educaie, i copii n colilegate de institutele pedagogice.

Fiecare categorie are colirspndite n toat ara. necare regiune, colile din aceeaicategorie lucreaz n cooperare,fcnd posibil ca expertiza i

cunotinele s e combinate.Exist astfel Centre Regionale deExpertiz (CRE), care sunt activen ecare regiune pentru ultimeletrei categorii de educaie special,de prima categorie ocupndu-seorganizaii generale precum Visio,Bartimusi Sensis.

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n strns colaborare cu profesoriidin ecare categorie, pentru proiectau fost gndite activiti concrete.Fiecare grup care va vizita Ailihto.

Insula Phoenix-uluiva primi anteriordin partea unui educator muzeal

un atelier pentru clas, pentru carematerialul didactic a fost n prealabiladaptat obiectivelor specicecategoriei din care face partegrupul. Scopurile programeloreducative pentru aceast categoriede copii sunt n conformitate cupolitica guvernamental i intescspre emanciparea, integrareai normalizarea persoanelor cudizabiliti. Pentru acestea suntstimulate dezvoltarea senzorio-motoare i cea socio-emoional.Elevii nva s fac fa propriilorposibiliti i limitri, s capete is-i ntreasc ncrederea n sine istima de sine, i nva s-i exprimepropriile dorine, sentimente iopinii.

Este important ca aceti copiis e stimulai, s le e strnitcuriozitatea, i s se orientezespre natur i spre lumeanconjurtoare.

Simuri ca mirosul, pipitul iauzul (n cazul copiilor decienivizual, de pild) ar trebui s estimulate. Copiilor cu deciene

de auz trebuie s li se ofereposibilitatea de a folosi protezeauditive i de a primi acces la altetipuri de oferte. Elevii ar trebui sneleag posibilitile vizuale, i sstudieze diversele materiale n ceeace privesc culoarea, forma, ritmul,spaiul, textura i compoziia.Merit din plin s le e stimulatimaginaia i s e ajutai s iexprime sentimentele i s-i deaform ideilor.


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Materialele educative se potrivesccu obiectivele i cu calitile specicecopiilor din ecare categorie. Maimult, aceste materiale sunt fcutepentru a putea folosite de copii in educaia obinuit.

Tema ofer multe posibiliti deadresare care vor acoperite deateliere sau de pri ale acestora.Atelierele pregtitoare vor inuten coli i mpreun cu instalaia dinmuzeu formeaz o singur entitate.Ele vor oferite de echipa deeducatori a Muzeului din Groningeni/sau de ctre artiti. colile potapoi s se foloseasc de acesteateliere n diferite feluri, n funciede propriile cerine: ca pregtiredirect pentru vizita la muzeu sau

ca pe o serie de lecii n care sepune accent pe diferite experiene(ascultare, privire, mirosire).

Atelierele pot , de asemenea,extinse ntr-un program de o mailung durat, ndeplinindu-seconcomitent att o bun integrarentre obiective i program, ct i onou interaciune ntre educatorii

muzeali i profesorii din colilespeciale i normale. Flexibilitateaeste astfel unul dintre lucrurileimportante care particip la bunadesfurare a acestor activiti.

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Atelierele se vor dezvolta ntr-ostrns cooperare ntre specialitiimuzeali cu profesorii din colilespeciale, tocmai datorit faptuluic acetia din urm cunosc foartebine calitile i limitele ecruielev n parte. ntre timp, muzeul a

luat contact i a purtat discuii cuprofesori din colile pentru toate

categoriile a fost pentru primaoar cnd acetia s-au ntlnit cutoii pentru a discuta anumiteaspecte i pentru ei a fost oexperien bogat.

S-a ajuns astfel la cinci atelierediferite. (1) Ascultatul presupuneascultarea de ctre elevii unei clase apeisajului sonor din cadrul instalaiei(pentru unele grupuri-int vor realizate versiuni adaptate), urmatapoi de reacii ale copiilor exprimateprin desene, ntrebri i propunericu privire la poveste, dans saumicare, scrierea unui poem. (2)Privitul i pregtete pe copii spriveasc multitudinea de culori,forme i straturi din instalaie; eipot face diferite obiecte (din mai

multe materiale) bazate pe cte osingur culoare, pot discuta despreasociaiile pe care le fac plecnd dela acea culoare, pot combina diferitelucrri de-ale lor pentru a crea unpeisaj, pe care apoi l pot lumina iobserva cum reacioneaz culoareala lumin. (3) Mirositul const nmirosirea diferitelor arome, discuii

despre asociaiile strnite; copiilorli se dau informaii i li se spunlegende despre mirosuri, precum idespre mirosul asociat cu Phoenix-ul (dup tradiie, el i-a construitun cuib din anumite ierburi); deasemenea, copiii nva s-i creezesinguri un parfum. (4) Phoenixesteun alt atelier, n care copiii ascultambiana sonor din ncpereaPhoenix-ului din instalaie, citescsau le sunt citite cu voce tarepoveti i basme despre Phoenix,dup care ei discut despre diferiteteme ale acestora; construiesc aripi


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din diferite materiale, dup care sefotograaz unii pe alii cu aceste

aripi (i machiaj); construiesc unou i l picteaz. (5) Dragoni suntcitite cu voce tare diferite povetidespre dragoni; ecare copil iconstruiete propriul dragon(alegerea materialului depinde deposibilitile copilului i de timpulavut la dispoziie), dup care icreeaz o poveste: care este numeledragonului?, unde locuiete el? ce iplace?, ce este n interiorului ouluilui?

u p

Atelierele i instalaiaAilihto. InsulaPhoenix-ului se deosebesc n maimulte aspecte de ofertele obinuitedin cadrul educaiei artistice pentru

copii. Datorit naturii, felului ncare este construit i datoritmrimii instalaiei, vizitatorul estecomplet captivat. Toate simurile isunt stimulate prin sunete, imagine,mirosuri i lucruri ce pot atinse,el trind expoziia ntr-o manierdirect, zic. Copiii viziteazinstalaia sub supravegherea unui

educator muzeal, care activeazprogramul instalaiei dup unorar bine stabilit. Povestea estespus i trit ntr-o anumit duratn timp i ntr-un decor teatral.

n ceea ce privete atelierele,acestea sunt o pregtire pentruexpoziia din muzeu, care constituiepunctul central al ateniei. Deasemenea, educatorii muzeali

i conduc pe copii n expoziieprintr-o discuie educativ iprintr-un proces creativ ce ia formaunei sarcini realizate n studioulmuzeului. Toate aceste componente

sunt n mare independente unade cealalt i pot programate

separat.n proiectulAilihto. Insula Phoenix-ului, toate prile se mpletesc ntr-un tot, prin aporturile artitilor,profesorilor i educatorilor muzeali.Copilul este tratat ca artist i ca om.Sunt atinse subiecte importante,ca naterea lumii, triumful asuprarului (dragonul), dorina de azbura, dorul de lumin, i carefac referiri la mituri i basmeaparinnd mai multor culturi artapoate o experien ce trimite laefectele magice ale ritualurilor i aleMarilor Poveti ce pot face oameniis se auto-transcend. Atelierele indrumarea din Muzeu se asigurc elevii pot face asocieri libere cu ipornind de la materialele oferite i

c ei pot cpta inspiraie n felul i lanivelul lor. Acestea sunt justicate,spre exemplu, de poeziile scrisede copii autiti despre naterealumii, sau de expresiile intense aledesenelor unora dintre copii desprevisele lor.

P t

Cu acest proiect grandios,Muzeul din Groningen ncearcn mod bine chibzuit s ajungla noi grupuri-int ntr-un modstructurat. Experienele decooperare n realizarea atelierelordin coli i din Muzeu, precum iexperienele practice trite n celedou locuri vor duce la apariiaunui nou tip structural de program

educativ. Toate prile componenteale acestui proiect formeaz de fapto mare oper de art i o experientotal la care particip n mod egaltoi cei ce iau parte la ea. n locul unei


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REVISTA MUZEELOR

din ce n ce mai mari simplicri ainformaiei i limbajului vizual,

sunt create structuri straticate ivariate posibiliti de aplicare. Dinaceast abordare pot nva nu doarprofesorii i ali educatori muzeali,ci i artitii, putndu-se cu toiiconvinge c ea poate interesant.Pn la urm, rezultatul nal esteun proiect ce poate utilizat pe maimulte nivele i poate prezentat nmai multe locuri.

Instalaia va deschis publiculuila Muzeul din Groningen ncepnd

cu decembrie 2010/ianuarie 2011,mpreun cu proiectul educaional,i va itinerat la Rijks MuseumTwenthe n Enschede ncepndcu vara lui 2011, precum i la altemuzee, n Olanda sau n afara rii,dac sunt interesate.

Documents

2009_02_04The Phoenix. a Project for and By