Action Reaction Abstraction:

For the past ten years, our program for nine- to twelve-years-olds has focused on De Stijl, a group of Dutch modernist artists from the 1920s. While the mentioned museum didactics were applied, concentrating on this artist group also posed limitations by placing a strong emphasis on the classical art historical canon. For our new program, we have explicitly chosen not to focus on a single artist or style but to base it on more general themes represented in our collection by a multitude of artists, perspectives, voices, and stories. This way, the museum educator can better tailor the content to the group, while we also shape our vision of the curriculum and its impact on equal opportunities in education.

In the new program ‘Action Reaction Abstraction,’ students explore various styles and discover their preferences. The gallery tour is structured around several themes centralizing abstraction, everyday life, new materials, work methods, and engagement. How do artists observe and react to the world around them? And to each other? What materials, ideas, or feelings do they work with? In the gallery, students reflect on art through varied and active forms, learning to describe, interpret, and explore their own and each other’s perspectives. Art and citizenship education form an organic whole here.

As indicated, young children learn most effectively with all their senses and with their head, heart, and hands. Creation proves to be the most thorough and profound learning method. After an hour of reflecting on art in the gallery, students also become artists themselves in Studio Canvas, our new education space. In groups, they create a large composition on the wall using magnetic figures based on a theme. A playful and active format with a spectacular visual result that the class can certainly be proud of. We have chosen a collaborative approach for this workshop, as it benefits both the group dynamics and the learning process. During the creative process, students must discuss, help, convince, inspire, or contradict each other. They are challenged to reconsider choices, compare ideas, and explore possibilities. This divergence enhances the creative process.

The magnetic shapes in the workshop are inspired by our collection and align with the themes presented in the gallery tour: abstraction, everyday materials, stories, and new materials, methods of creation and work. There are 2D shapes based on the work of Kazimir Malevich and Jennifer Tee, everyday objects inspired by the work of Daniel Spoerri, and 3D shapes made of Vlisco fabric. The shapes are visually interesting for students and, as echoes of what they saw in the gallery but also invite them to explore the stories behind them. For example, Jennifer Tee and Vlisco encourage exploring the history of the Netherlands in relation to other countries and cultures. In the preparatory lesson, students are challenged to look at Jennifer Tee’s work and engage in a conversation about migration. Here, we provide teachers with a global historical perspective on this theme by referring to the educational poster ‘Ten Times More History’ by The Black Archives, offering an alternative to the commonly used Eurocentric canon of the Netherlands. Vlisco offers opportunities to discuss how cultures influence each other and how exchange takes place, as well as the position and role of the Netherlands in its colonial past.

At the end of the workshop, a photo is taken of all the artworks. These photos are sent to the school so that students can show in the classroom and at home what they have seen and created at the Stedelijk.