Author: Anni Rupponen

Visual story of the Nordic Art Education in Motion seminar day

~ Anni Rupponen ~ Leave a comment

Welcome to the international Nordic Art Education in Motion seminar at Aalto University!

A seminar poster for the event titled Nordic Art Education in Motion

Meanwhile the seminar guests are on their way to Aalto University’s A Grid building, the seminar hosts, NoVA Masters programme students and teacher from Aalto University are checking that everything is ready.

Has someone checked that the microphone headset works, Tyler asks.

Black and white illustration of people preparing a seminar in seminar hall

People start to arrive at 9am. They grab a cup of coffee or tea and fruits whilst saying hello to their old and new friends.

Two persons having a discussion with smiles on their faces in a seminar hall
Meeting your Nordic and Baltic colleagues is one of the best part in live seminars. Jaana Brinck from Aalto University and Heidi Hautopp from Aalborg University – Copenhagen are discussing about Nordic Visual Studies and Art Education (NoVA) Masters programme collaboration.

Host of a seminar speaking on a microphone

Great to see you all in here! My name is Flavie Messier Saint-Jacques and I am coming from Aalto University. This is my colleague Gaia Mazzola from Konstfack in the right and we are going to be your hosts during the seminar.

Next, I want welcome our first speaker Jaana Brinck, Head of Nordic Visual Studies and Art Education from Aalto University. Jaana is going to lead you through the ideas behind the Nordic collaboration between three Nordic NoVA Masters programmes.

Illustration of a person speaking on a microphone

“Nordic collaboration requires activity from all of us.”

Jaana Brinck

Students sitting in an audience of a seminar hall
NoVA students Vivita Kaupere, Rose Allard and Flavie Messier Saint-Jacques from Aalto University are waiting their turn to step to give their presentation and get the seminar guest involved for the content production by using their digital competences.

Smart phone screen with a map of Europe and Africa with pins
The exercise asked the seminar quests where they come from, what their’s specialisations in art education are, and how they have experienced Nordic and Baltic collaboration so far.

(drumming) Next on the stage Kennet Lundin from Finnish National Agency for Education

A person speaking on a stage of seminar hall
Thank you for the inspirational speech about Nordplus and Nordic Master funding programmes supporting Nordic-Baltic collaboration. Kenneth encouraged us to introduce our newest and fresh ideas to begin the new collaborations.

Seminar audience smiling
We are happy to see big smiles and contemplative gazes in the seminar quests’ faces already in the beginning of the seminar day.

Do we have any comments or questions? asks Gaia.

Seminar visitor asking a question from an audience
Yes, Mira Kallio-Tavin has always something interesting to say!
Illustration of snacks and coffee pan

Then it is time to fill your coffee or tea cup and grab some snacks.

Seminar visitors discussing and enjoying coffee
Teachers from Edda Norden partnering universities Šiauliai University (LTU), Umeå University (SE), and Vilnius Academy of Art (LTU) are filling their coffee and tea cups too.

Studying in the NoVA has been multidimensional journey so far. These photos are study memories from Art, Education and Entrepreneurship intensive course held at Aalto University in the last fall, tells Gintare.

Students presenting on a stage study memories in a seminar hall. Illustrator drawing a digital dairy from an event on the side.
NoVA students Ji Youn Lee, Anni Rupponen and Gintare Ruksenaite from Aalto University are sharing student perspectives of NoVA studies and Nordic collaboration including exchange stories, memories from the four NoVA symposia and insights from the intensive courses and
e-learning.

Illustrator standing next to screen and introducing the work
Maybe you already noticed that something interesting is happening in the left down corner of the earlier picture. Let me introduce NoVA and Aalto University alumni Solip Park engaging the seminar guests with her amazing live illustrations inspired by caricature comics style.

(drumming) And the next speaker is… checking QR-codes…

Seminar visitos scanning QR-code

… but she is just on time in the stage to introduce us to creative coding through visual elements. Welcome Sanna Reponen from Mehackit!

Speaker giving a speech on a stage of a seminar hall
Sanna taught us how to do a simple coded animation from lines in 30 minutes.

Can anyone tell me how to do the line thicker? And how to change the background colour? Wow, how you did you do that? Questions keep popping up in the audience.

Coding reflector on seminar hall's screen and seminar visitors solving coding exercises with their laptops

Lunch break at 12-13

What happens during the break:

Illustration of person asking a question

“Jaeseong, could you take a group picture of the NoVA students?”

Group picture of 8 students smiling in front of mural painting in Aalto University campus
“Everybody, come here! Who is still missing? Ok, let’s smile now.”

It was time to say physical goodbye for your peer student from partnering NoVA universities in the 4th symposium during the NoVA Master’s degree programme 2018-2020. The seminar was part of the final intensive study week together. In the picture there are NoVA students from Aalborg University, Copenhagen and Aalto University, Espoo.

“Hey, but where are rest of the NoVA students from Aalto University and Konstfack?”

“Jaeseong, do we still have time for a couple friend photos?”
Students posting in friend pictures in front of a mural painting

(drumming) The next speakers are Aalto University’s own Juuso Tervo and Tomi Slotte Dufva!

Two speakers giving presentations of their topics in a stage
Left: Juuso Tervo & right: Tomi Slotte Dufva

Juuso gave us interesting speech about archive identity and how computational thinking is connected to it. You can find the transcript of the speech here: Art education historiography after archive fever. 

Confusion and excitement raise on the next level with Tomi Slotte Dufva’s artistic and exploring speech. Do you want to know more? Here we go with Cinderellas, Skywalker family and endless repeats of Hotel California.
Illustration of several seminar visitors sitting in the audience and following the speech
I can see many focused people around me. Are you still focused?

(drumming) Next Aalto University representatives are Eva Durall and Mira Kallio-Tavin!

Two speakers with head microphones giving presentations of their topics in a stage
Left: Eva Durall & right: Mira Kallio Tavin

Eva Durall from Aalto University’s Media lab presented ongoing research and innovation projects in non-formal and formal STEAM education. Do not forget to ad A = Art to STEM!

Mira Kallio-Tavin introduced what happens in the Nordic art education and its
research in motion.

Seems that we have a new comment, exclaims Flavie.

Seminar visitor asking a question from the audience
This time comments and question come from NoVA alumni Luiz Bellido. It is great to see that the seminar guests are interested to comment and ask because it produces common understanding and good discussions to activate your own critical thinking.

Three seminar visitors laughing in the audience
Look at these happy faces after already six hours in the seminar. I bet they have a good colleague support at Aalto University. (And then in real life, I don’t have any idea what they are talking about.)

In the end we had some time for the group work
The last exercise was curated by NoVA students Tyler Liu and Joanna Wong from Aalto University and Gaia Mazzola from Konstfack. The teams were asked to discuss about the key elements of future Nordic and Baltic collaboration and list them in the posters.

Seminar visitors working in small groups and making notes on a big paper
Illustration of seminar visitors when doing a group work
People writing idea on a paper with markers
Groups presenting their ideas by speaking and showing their idea poster
Work teams presented their findings after.

Applauses for all who came and made the Nordic Art Education in Motions seminar possible.

Thank you!

Seminar audience clapping
Illustration of a photographer taking photos of seminar visitors
Applauses also for our great photographer Jaeseong Park and NoVA alumni ja illustrator Solip Park!
Groups picture of seminar visitors in a seminar hall staircase
All photos: Jaeseong Park / Enlighten Image
All character illustrations: Solip Park

Oh, I forgot to introduce what this seminar is about.
The Nordic Art Education and Motion seminar in the nutshell:

  • One day long public seminar at Aalto University
  • Organized by Aalto University, School of Arts, Design and Architecture in Finland, Nordic Visual Studies and Art Education Masters Programme and EDDA Norden Art Education Network
  • The seminar discussed about international perspectives in art education and highlighted Nordplus theme: Digital competences and computational thinking: preparing children, young people and adults for a digitalized society
  • Participants from all around the world

The seminar day gave insights that led us to re-think ourselves as critical art educators who are able to question and utilize digital competences in their work.

Storyteller
Logos of Aalto University, Nordic Visual Studies and Art education (NoVA), Edda Norden and Nordplus.