With the continuous development of the times, art has become more and more diversified. People seem to feel that art is both close and far away from us, and they don’t seem to know much about it.

In this toolkit, you don’t need any background knowledge. You can freely use your impression of the artwork to understand art and have a brief dialogue with art from your own perspective.

Learners can directly connect with artworks through simple observation and intuitive response, break the sense of distance from art from a personal perspective, and experience the openness of art and the freedom of personal interpretation in these 20 minutes.

Learners will form an initial impression of the original work and an intuitive feeling of the dialogue with the work after re-creation, thus narrowing the distance with art.

“HERE WE GO!”

How can we talk to contemporary art?

Don’t think you understand contemporary art?

Don’t worry!

In this 20 minutes, you will find it out how to talk to contemporary art.

“FOLLOW THE STEPS”

Step 1 Pick one artword you like (2mins)

｜tips：

You can choose according to your own preferences or the artworks that attract you.

Of course, you can also search for a contemporary art work you like through the provided website.（Just click on one of the links 🔗）

Step 2 Deep observation and imagination (5mins)

Use the following questions to try to start a conversation with your chosen artwork.

｜guide questions:

• What’s your first impression of this work?

• If you use one word to describe it, what would you choose?

• What emoji would you use to express your impression of this work?

• What emotion or story do you think this work may express?

• What emotions do the colors of the work bring to you?”

• Are there any specificassociations?

• If you were in the scene of this work, what would you see and hear?

In this step, you can think based on the guided questions or based on your own experiences, and at the same time think about how you would communicate with contemporary art. Please complete this step freely and boldly.

Step 3 Freedom to create (5mins)

Feel free to express your impressions of the artwork you choose.

• It could be a simple doodle, a poem, a few words, or the use of colours and lines to express their understanding of the work.

example:

example of how to express your impressions of the artwork.

tool: paper, pen, phone, iPad or just talk with your peers.

(If you don’t mind, you can share your thoughts in the comments below）

Step 4 Recreate an artwork of your choice（5mins)

In this step, you create a new work based on the artwork you have chosen.

It must be completed within 5 minutes.

This can be by adding objects or deleting objects from the original artwork.

As long as you create a work of art that satisfies you, it will be fine.

• Change your selected artwork.

• If you could add or take away one thing from this work, what would it be?

example of how learner change the artwork

tips: You can draw it or just take a picture of the artwork and share with your peers what you have recreated.

Step 5 Talk again to this altered artwork (3mins)

Express your thoughts about the artwork again in the same way as before,  

compare your thoughts before and after changing the artwork.

What do you think?

“END”

FURTHER THINKING

After learning, do you feel that contemporary art works are not far away from us?

We can also communicate with it in our own way, and through our own interpretation, do you feel that contemporary art can become more interesting?

Do you have a deeper understanding of contemporary art?

Would you still be so free to recognize any artwork?

example of how learner say to art © 2024 by Huimin Peng is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

example of how learner change the artwork © 2024 by Huimin Peng is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

(https://pin.it/5PAqwVmVP)

(https://www.wengcontemporary.com/artwork/jeff-koons-balloon-dog-blue-2021)

("'Pumpkin' 2016 by Yayoi Kusama -- The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden (DC) March 2017" by Ron Cogswell is licensed under CC BY 2.0. https://openverse.org/image/a3f208ef-096c-4917-9b8a-3f6164e77cfc?q=%27Pumpkin%27+2016+by+Yayoi+Kusama+--+The+Hirshhorn+Museum+and+Sculpture+Garden+(DC)+March+2017)

("Limited editions - Timeless series - 22X30in contemporary artwork by artist Ib Benoh digital print, printmaking 2022" by Wardiverde is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0https://openverse.org/image/42734469-1c04-4f8e-90df-c98decf538fd?q=Limited+digital+editions+series+2022.+Contemporary+artwork+by+artist+Ib+Benoh)

("My Bed, Tracey Emin, Tate Britain" by Andy Hay is licensed under CC BY 2.0. https://openverse.org/image/9c960efa-1829-4e52-b853-3f715076f701?q=My+Bed,+Tracey+Emin,+Tate+Britain)

("Jeff Koons: Balloon Dog (Blue), 1994-2000" by Tom Ipri is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. https://openverse.org/image/3aec632f-4fbf-4397-8093-50fbfd778065?q=Jeff+Koons+Balloon+Dog+(Blue))

("'Pumpkin' 2016 by Yayoi Kusama -- The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden (DC) March 2017" by Ron Cogswell is licensed under CC BY 2.0. https://openverse.org/image/a3f208ef-096c-4917-9b8a-3f6164e77cfc?q=%27Pumpkin%27+2016+by+Yayoi+Kusama+--+The+Hirshhorn+Museum+and+Sculpture+Garden+(DC)+March+2017)

("Detail - Andy Warhol's 'Marilyn's Diptich' (1962)" by andryn2006 is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. https://openverse.org/image/8df090b1-3329-4d86-a3f4-78dd6f71a80a?q=Detail+Andy+Warhol%27s+Marilyn%27s+Diptich+(1962))

(https://unsplash.com/photos/a-large-orange-and-black-vase-sitting-on-top-of-a-table-XxPZUkjKFjA)

(https://www.artnet.com/artists/andy-warhol/marilyn-monroe-marilyn-f-s-ii25-a-5hJxbu-CXfkJuMw3lg_BuQ2)

(https://blog.artsper.com/en/a-closer-look/the-impact-of-tracey-emins-my-bed/)

(https://www.artsy.net/artwork/damien-hirst-the-fucking-highways-longer-from-the-currency)

(example of how learner change the artwork © 2024 by Huimin Peng is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 )