Course description:
What is ‘Humanistic Gerontology’?
How Art & Design practice, relates to the ‘generation past’ ?
What are the social implications of getting to be old?
How do we design for our own ‘physiological-future’?
Is ‘old’ valuable for / needed by the ‘young’?
In this project based course, the social, cultural and moral facets of Art & Design are contextualized. The idea is, to design for the present for the old-generation, or in another way of understanding, its designing for the future of 'self'. The final project is, to interact with inmates of an old-age home in town and create the Art & Design works that enhance the dignity of living.
The emphasis is on engaging and be able to create in real-time, art & design works, that are situated in the community. In the process, gaining skills in ethnographic research, collecting oral histories and documenting, interpersonal communication skills, designing & constructing with available materials, some knowledge of social and psychological aspects of phenomenon of old age.
The possible Project Ideas could be on the lines of : |
A community based Art work: A community based Art work aiming at achieving certain humanistic value such as : A co-authored Artwork that enhances human values, instill peace of mind, make a humane gesture, bridge the emotional gaps, enable communication, giving relief from stress or anxiety etc, or even just gives long term aesthetic pleasure. The Art-work, or Art activity can be in any media and be site specific. This Artwork can be in the spirit of what Joseph Beuys called - 'Social Sculpture'. |
A Design solution: A design solution for any existing infrastructural, economic, behavioral, practical, systemic and psychological issues. The objective is, creating useful objects / structures that fulfill the design needs of the 'Grands'. The designs can adress various aspects of old-age related problems and identify the design needs for -- filling in the gaps in the systems, improvising / correcting the design issues in existing products & services, or creating new ones based on need-gap analysis. The designing methodology and the final product should enhance, the quality of life for the 'Grands'. |
A systems visualization: This is aimed at an out of the box, Art & Design thinking for the community wise interaction and systems visualization in new light. Here, the 'systems' refer to the overall structures of services & conditions the 'Grands' live & conduct themselves in both public and private spaces and covers all factors of infrastructural and service systems / conditions. Systems re-designing should be based on research, exploration and direct observation inorder to create effective and efficient models of service. It can then enhance the dignity and life for the ‘old age home’ lifers. |
Reflect on – social sculpture |
