EDUCATIONAL POTENTIAL OF THE POLONIA PAVILION AT THE VENICE BIENNALE OF ART: HALKA/HAITI AND LITTLE REVIEW

Abstract

Poland has been actively participating for almost a century in one of the largest and most important artistic events in the world, the international exhibition of the Venice Art Biennale. This artistic event is visited by over a half a million people every two years, so it is worth considering its educational impact on the audience. The article presents two projects which were shown in the Polish Pavilion during the 56th and 57th Venice Art Biennale in 2015 and 2017: Halka/Haiti 18°48’05”N 72°23’01”W, created by C. T. Jasper and Joanna Malinowska and Sharon Lockhart’s Little Review. The author of the article describes, interprets and analyses the projects from a pedagogical perspective. The idea of art as an important tool for the transformation of man and the world can be found in pedagogy, in the area of knowledge about art, as well as in artistic activities. In the 21st century contemporary art is perceived as an important partner for pedagogy, but today pedagogy also becomes an inspiration for artists who more and more often use typically educational forms of activity in their artistic processes and appreciate the democratic, inclusive and emancipatory nature of educational practices. The aim of the article is to indicate the educational aspects of two art projects, which were presented in the Polish Pavilion in 2015 and 2017, taking into account their educational potential and the possibility of influencing both participants of the implemented activities and the secondary audience. The pedagogical perspective used by the author ranges from the theory of aesthetic education, through critical pedagogy, to the educational turn in contemporary art observed in the 21st century.