1/22/2026 - Week 2 / Meeting 4: Conceptual Art / Installation Art

 

 

REVIEW

 

  • dopamine
  • convergent thinking
  • divergent thinking 
  • conceptual art

 

 

I

 

Unit: Conceptual Art

Theme: Installation Art

 

Introduction

 

Installation art could be considered a sub-set of conceptual art. As such, it is a genre that also allows teachers to expose children to a creative environment with little to no budget at all. The conceptual nature of installation art makes it also a great medium to expand an art lesson into an academic one. The term is used interchangeably with art installation. The former seems to be used to name the overall discipline whereas the latter seems to be use to name the actual piece.


-------------------

II

 

Learning Objectives

 

  • Understand the importance of creativity in the learning process 
  • Explain the concept of  installation art
  • Gain an awareness of the versatility of installation art when used to teach other subjects
  • Experience the creation of a n installation art piece

 

-----------------------------

III

 

Main Lesson 


1

The therapeutic Encounter / The Therapeutic Presence

Dr. Aditi Nerurkar is a Harvard physician nationally recognized stressed expert and modern day burnout.
 
 
 
1. (17:00 - 22:45)
2. (35:00 - 41:10)
3. (48:00 - 54:04)
4. (56:44 - 57:58)
5. (-1:40:00 -1:43:26)
6.(1:43:29 - 1:44:59)
7.(1:45:00 - 1.49:35)
8. (1:50-1:51:44)
9. ( 1:51:51-)
 
 
1. Professor's Reflection on true resilience vs. toxic resilience:
The artistic process, specifically within the frame of modern education, can offer students the space and time necessary to recharge and become truly resilient as opposed to toxicly so.
 
2. Professor's Reflection on therapeutic encounter: 
The therapeutic encounter is enhanced when using a holistic approach to teaching. It depends, of course, on the therapeutic presence of the teacher. Dr. Nerurkar mentions eye to eye level, mirroring and being authentic as key elements in the development of therapeutic presence and subsequently the therapeutic encounter. The circle provides an environment in which the therapeutic encounter can take place within the context of teaching and learning.
 
3. Professor's Reflection on acronym MOST (Motivating, Objective, Small and Timely):
"What matters most to me" as opposed to "what's the matter with me" is a way to re-frame one's internal dialogue to find out what is one's most goal and create a road-map to find out the best way to get there. This gives one something to look forward to, a measurable goal, that may surface, in regards to teaching and learning, during  class.
 
4. Professor's Reflection on moving:
Dr. Nerurkar says that movement can decrease your stress. When one feels stressed one wants to be still, yet sitting can increase one's sense of anxiety. Thus, sitting can have a great impact on one's mental health, whereas movement is the antidote to that. For instance, a simple walk can help. Thus, movement is key in decreasing our students' stress. Also, mindfulness and walking meditation can be introduced as part of the holistic approach to teaching.

5.Professor's reflection on Six areas that make a long and meaningful life. 
Dr. Nerukar's prescription is to bring those 6 areas into one day even if it is for a minute or two to have a sense of meaning and purpose. The six areas are a) childhood (spend a few mi. everyday in a sense of wonder and play), b) work (doing something whether is payed or not that provides you with a sense of accomplishment, c) solitude (spending some time alone), d) vacation (spend some time during the day doing something you love), e. family (spend time in community with people you love), f) retirement (spend some time during the day thinking about what worked and what did not. These are recommendations teachers can implement in the classroom to enhance learning in a meaningful way.

6. Professor's Reflection of What we have missed and Media Diet:
In reference to popcorn-brain and brain-drain, Nerukar advises to have a media diet. There are 3 ways to instill this media diet into one's life to help with scanning and scrolling. First, limit the time you spend on the phone engaging and consuming bad news, 20 min. a day, set a timer if you have to. Second, create geographical limits, keep you phone 10 feet away from your work station, if you can, 10 feet out of reach and at night, off your night stand. Third, create some logistical limits in terms of organization and planning of your day. Creating this digital boundaries in regards to one's use of one's iPhone will improve our stress and mental health. These are also recommendation teachers can give students as part of the holistic approach.

7. Professor's Reflection on the Cycle of Trauma:
Nerukar cites Roxane Cohen Silver, a psychologist in California, to say that one's risk of PTSD increases when one consumes graphic images even if what one is consuming is happening elsewhere. Any conflict, any climate disaster consumed via graphic images and videos increases one's own risk of PTSD even if one has not have any direct trauma. It stimulates one's primal urge to scroll more, because one does not feel safe. This is a common response because of our own biology of stress, click bait and doom scrolling are powered by the same biology that governs the fight or flight response. Data shows that this increases your PTSD and mental conditions later in life. Thus, when your student shows up in class, the teacher has to take into consideration that the cycle of trauma has other ramifications often ignored by teachers.

8. Professor's Reflection on hyperconnectivity and loneliness:
Feeling a sense of connection and community is different from being hyperconnected.  One can be hyperconnected via electronic devices and disconnected from others. Loneliness is an pandemic according to Nerukar. It decreases your life-span. It is essential to be connected to a community to avoid stress.

9. Professor's Reflection on internal experience and external presentation:
Narukar talks about what she used to think was true; that internal experience and external presentation were supposed to match up. This however, based on her own experience, is not true since people look a certain way (happy, smiley) while struggling inside. Thus, she is kinder than necessary since everybody is fighting a battle one may not now about.
 

 Question 1

After watching the interview with Dr. Narukar, what doe you think is her overall message?


 2

Installation Art

 a)

 

b)

Installation Art: How it Transforms Our Perception

By Bob Lansroth

Question 2

After watching the video and reading Bob Lansroth's article:

a)  what are the main characteristics of installation art?

b) how it affects our perception?

 

3

Art Installation

 


 

                                   

Question 3

According to Stephen the Visual Artist, what three things one should keep in mind when creating an art installation?


 

 4

 

Concept: Installation Art

 

Installation art is a term generally used to describe artwork located in three-dimensional interior space as the word "install" means putting something inside of something else. The term is used to describe large-scale, mixed-media constructions, often designed for a specific place or for a temporary period of time. Installation art pieces are designed to transform the perception of a space.

In our class we adapt this  concept to arrange readymades and found-objects from outside the classroom in order to create an installation that has meaning.

 

 Question 4

Explain in your own words what is an installation art piece and does it stimulate creativity?



5

Concept: Readymades
 

The readymades of Marcel Duchamp are ordinary manufactured objects that the artist selected and modified, as an antidote to what he called "retinal art". By simply choosing the object and repositioning or joining, titling and signing it, the found object became art.
 


 
 Question 5

Based on Marcel Duchamp's ideas, what is the difference between retinal art and conceptual art ? Which one of the two enhances creativity?


6
 
 
 
 Vito Acconci - Following Piece

 https://www.moma.org/collection/works/146947
 
 Question 6
 
 What is the main idea behind Acconci's piece?
 
 
 7
 
 
Ad Reinhardt - What do you represent?
 
 https://rapidnotes.wordpress.com/2013/04/18/what-do-you-represent/

 Question 7
 
Do you like or dislike this type of art? Explain
 
 
 
8
 
Read the Introduction of the book
 
Who is Afraid of Conceptual Art? 
 
By  Peter Goldie and Elisabeth Schellekens
 
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Who_s_Afraid_of_Conceptual_Art/V1wxwk0feloC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=conceptual+art&printsec=frontcover
 
Question 8
 
What are the challenges that conceptual art poses to art?
 
Question 9
 
Surrealism, Futurism and Impressionism are referred to by the authors as "innovative art." What is the difference between innovative art and conceptual art?
 
------------------------
 IV
 
A Note to Remember
 
Creativity is an important aspect of learning any subject. The arts are a great medium to stimulate creativity in the classroom. A very affordable way of creating learning projects is using an installation art piece. There are three things to remember when creating an installation: a) Make the familiar strange, b) Interrupt the body, c) Consider all 5 senses. Installation art is a type of conceptual art that uses readymades and found-objects. Its conceptual nature allows teachers to design instruction that can include other subjects as well.
 
 
--------------------
V
 
Case Studies
 
1 
 
 Ali Beaudette
 
 Link to Ali Beaudette's Tik Tok Video
https://www.tiktok.com/@alibeaudette/video/7464339036157562154?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc


https://www.tiktok.com/@alibeaudette/video/7464339036157562154?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc
 
 
How a Small-Town Art Installation Became an Unlikely TikTok Sensation
 
By Shanti Escalante-De Mattei  

Question 10
 
How did collecting objects influence the work of Ali Beaudette?
 
 
2
 
Brian Petro
 

Found object originates from the French objet trouvé, describing art created from undisguised, but often modified, objects or products that are not normally considered materials from which art is made, often because they already have a non-art function.


 
 
 Question 11

Based on Brain Petro's work, what is the importance of readymades and found-objects when making art?


--------------------
VI


Activity
 
Installation Art
 
  • Gather found objects and readymades.
  • Arrange them in a way that makes sense to you.
  • Look at it and find the meaning of it.
  • Write a short synopsis of what it means.
  • Give it a title
  • Take a picture or several pictures of your installation piece.
  • Post your pictures, your title and your synopsis on Discussion Board. 
 
Question 12
 
What was like to create your own installation piece? 


 --------------------------
 
VII
 
Glossary 

  • ready-mades: a mass-produced article selected by an artist and displayed as a work of art
  • installation art: a unique type of sculpture  that is site specific, transforms the space and is temporary.
  • objet trouvé (found object): a natural or man-made object, or fragment of an object, that is found (or sometimes bought) by an artist and kept because of some intrinsic interest the artist sees in it.
  • Realism: in its broadest sense, is a way of thinking and portraying reality, emphasizing truthfulness and accuracy over idealization or fantasy. It can be applied across various fields, including art, literature, philosophy, and even international relations, each with its own specific nuances. In essence, realism involves focusing on the world as it is, without embellishment or exaggeration
  • Surrealism: a cultural and artistic movement that emerged in the 1920s, primarily in Europe, as a reaction to the traumas of World War I and a desire to explore the unconscious mind. It's characterized by illogical, dreamlike imagery and a focus on the irrational and unexpected. Key figures include Salvador Dalí, René Magritte, and André Breton
  • Futurism: an artistic and cultural movement that originated in Italy in the early 20th century, primarily centered around celebrating modernity, speed, and technology. It sought to capture the dynamism and energy of the modern world through art, literature, and other forms of expression
  • Impressionism: a radical art movement, originating in Paris in the late 1800s, that focused on capturing fleeting moments and the effects of light and color. Artists like Monet, Renoir, and Degas are known for their loose brushstrokes, vibrant colors, and subject matter drawn from everyday life and nature. They painted outdoors ("en plein air") to capture the transient effects of light and color, often using short, broken brushstrokes.
  •  Expressionism: an art movement, style, and a general approach that emphasizes the subjective and emotional experience of the artist, rather than a realistic depiction of the world. It originated in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, primarily in Northern Europe, and is characterized by strong colors, distorted forms, and exaggerated lines to convey intense emotions.
  • Cubism: an early 20th-century art movement, pioneered by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, that revolutionized painting by depicting three-dimensional reality through fragmented, geometric forms on a two-dimensional canvas. Cubist artists analyzed subjects, broke them down into geometric shapes, and then reassembled them from multiple perspectives.
 
 
--------------------
VIII
 
Students' Work 
 

1

 Untitled

 

Isabella, Sophia, Victoria, Kerrigan

  Shaded Greenery - because the center focus is the green leaf and nature which is surronded by sunglasses and umbrellas this plays into the "shaded greenery" title 

 

 

2

Digital Bloom 

 


Sam Anna Lorenzo Grace

This sculpture shows how our relationship with nature is fading because of technology. As we become more connected to machines, we become less connected to the earth. It asks viewers to reflect on what is lost when being "productive" and technology comes at the expense of connection with our world.

 

 3

 UMIAMI STUDY STARTER PACK

 

 Gianna, Emily, Maxie, Audrey, Diarra

 It symbolizes the objects found in students' bags, while also demonstrating how students fuse everyday learning with the beautiful outdoors. 

 

4

 Matcha on the Rocks


 

 Dylan, Olivia, Kyle, Isabel, Cami, and Colleen

 This is "Matcha on the Rocks". This symbolizes the zen, calm, relaxation, and creativity our group brings into the classroom. 

 

5

 


 Into the Wild

Lilly, Frankie, Carlee, Jill, Paige and Charlotte    

"Into the Wild" all the aspects within this piece exhibit parts of the wild. The apple is the living beauty, and the rock shows stability. The dead leaf shows the circle of life, and not all things in the wild make it out alive. The water symbolizes how all beings need it to survive, which is why it is a part of this piece. 

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