A Project about Space and Quotations:

I always feel like I have students watch Monty Python’s Holy Grail  for two reasons. 1) it is a good summary of everything we have discussed up until this point in the term, and 2) it buys us some time while they work on their next projects. Good discussion about the film – largely centering on the disruption of authority. This is a good follow up to the disruption of master narratives project. After the discussion we also had some time to explore the Cage influenced Imaginary Soundscape piece. Some great responses – much more theatrical than I have seen in the past. The essential gist of this project is to create an “ironic” postmodern museum. Unlike the juxtaposition project, where students are instructed to put two or more items together, this project forces them to question the frame in which we see what is displayed. It is also the point in the term were students seem to worry about overthinking their project. This recognition often means that some of that anxiety becomes part of the project – which is a wonderful addition. What strikes me about this group is how thoughtful they are. Some really deep connections to the material that we have been discussing, but also bringing in ideas about gender, poverty, class, documentation, truth, anxiety, performativity, etc. And yet, there is also a playfulness that I really appreciate. Now this may manifest itself in messing with the projects, but that impulse is often courted by the projects themselves. So, I spend the first half of the term worrying that students are just not getting this stuff, or that we are moving too slowly, or too quickly, and then we get to a project day, which is always a source of anxiety for me – will the projects be interesting, will we spend enough time with them, will we have something to say about the, and then, yes we always do. I’m looking forward to the next class where we will review the list of terms and ideas we have so far, add a few based on this project, and reflect on where we are headed. I’m looking forward to seeing what they do with the Fluxus material and the hypertext project.