Fragments of Education

I've been working on a site-specific installation which speaks to the western education system, and more specifically its lack of inclusiveness to students with alternative learning styles.  I wish my creative spirit was nurtured by my teachers in high school and definitely see how my poor marks in high school affected my self esteem when considering college.  Six years after secondary school I got up the courage to give it a shot  to discover I could excel in academics in the right environment and with the right motivations ie.goals I made for myself as opposed to ones dictated to me.  Unfortunately not everyone who has had similar public school experiences as me realizes their potential.  In Fragments of an Education (working title), I'm grieving this loss.

I created a code made up of rubbings of textures from around Concordia University and then made them into a message.  My hope is that people might liken the process of decoding the message, to their experiences in school.  Whether the participant has felt victimized by the public school system or not I hope to demystify some of the preconceptions brought about by western imperialistic ways of thinking which put the population into two limiting categories; intelligent or unintelligent.  The message I chose was meant to make the viewer think differently about the judgments that they place on others or themselves while also acting as a message of hope and encouragement.

I will be installing this At Concordia University next week sometime with an accompanying website which will give those you who are not in Montreal a chance to de-code it too.