Learning often begins around shared gestures, conversations, and moments of gathering. One of the first collective gestures of this group of art educators was the making of a colorful tablecloth assembled from pieces of fabric. Arranged and stitched the tablecloth has accompanied the students throughout their studies, becoming a surface for notes, impromptu observations, traces of conversations, and shared moments. More than a simple object, it gradually turned into both an affective archive and a testimony to the many encounters that shaped their time in class. Even more, it came to embody a way of learning practiced collectively throughout the programme: one that seeks to “dismantle the illusion that learning happens in isolation”. Through the convivial moments it hosted, this collective surface reveals learning as an ongoing process that moves through bodies, bellies, minds, and shared breath. In doing so, it remains plural, holding space for divergences, complexities, and the coexistence of different experiences and ways of knowing.
Rooted in this process, this group of students now bring their graduate research together for one day at MELLY exploring questions such as: What might a space that holds and nurtures such multiplicity and expresses such ways of learning look like? How can we weave spaces of belonging for others into institutional structure and shared community life? The works on display and the programme of public activities engage with these questions by creating a space that nurtures conversations, encounters, and situated and embodied forms of learning, open to all. We warmly welcome you to join us!