Contemporary art as a resource for learning about human rights: a case study of the use of the Placenta Methodology with hospitalized adolescents

Abstract

The Placenta Methodology is a critical art education system developed at the Complutense University in Madrid (Spain). This article explores how the Placenta Methodology (Acaso, 2009) can be used to develop educational projects. In this case the authors used this methodology to work with hospitalized teenagers on the topic of human rights, using contemporary art as a medium. In the workshops they aimed to promote a critical perspective to show that art is connected to real life, and to encourage the participants to question the importance of technical training in being a contemporary artist. By placing this kind of art education project in a new environment (in this case the hospital), the authors wanted to promote the role of art education as an intellectual force instead of merely teaching handicrafts.