Identity, Community, Culture
Art & design is located in India's "urban-educated" paradigm - which is heavily inspired and influenced by colonial &/or western mindsets, concepts & models. Hence, there is an urgent need no re-examine and, if necessary, redefine our identity and location within our immediate and larger community & culture - neighbourhood, city, state, nation, region, world.
The implication for the academy is to aggressively reach out and engage with the community and negotiate a position of value with it.
Artist=Outsider, Designer=Insider no more
My entry into academe is from the world of practice, where I effortlessly crossed over to Illustration after passing out from college as and having worked as an Industrial Designer, later switched to Photography, then to Environmental Activism, then to Graphic Design and Social Communication, and then to Strategic Consulting. I find many of my peers making their own way into the world that has little or no relation to their original qualification or specialization.
The implication for the academy is to collapse the boundaries between 'artist,' 'designer' and 'architect' and provide students a wide menu of creative inputs covering critical thinking and conceptual and material skills that they can pick from.
Experiencing Cultures
As we are essentially cultural agents, we need a solid appreciation of and insights into culture. My main problem with the way culture is currently 'taught' at academies is that it's too sterile, hands-off and impersonal. Instead, I think it has to be more intimate, immersive and experiential.
The implication for the academy is to provide its students with as many opportunities to travel and experience diverse cultures in person - and perhaps even shape their responses to them on-site.
Crossovers>Migration
It follows from my 'collapse the boundaries' argument that crossovers are no longer an aberration or an issue - rather, they may well become the norm. And it follows from my 'experiencing and responding to diverse cultures' argument that migration needs to be built into the emerging discourse. This, countered by 'continuous and intense engagement with the local community' as argued at the outset, forms a potent creative mix.
Criticality>Curiosity
I reject the notion of the artist as outsider; because I feel while distance and autonomy are certainly assets, when it results in a persecution complex it can become a huge, huge liability - for both the artist and society.
The implication for the academy would be to empower the individual's autonomy and independent thought by building an environment of curiosity and criticality.
Success>Leadership>Excellence>Risk-taking>Teamwork>Creativity
There is no doubt in my mind whatsoever that any academy would aim to produce 'successful' people - leaders, thinkers, activists, innovators and pioneers of one kind or another. None would choose to exist in a state of marginalisation, mediocrity or anonymity. Invariably, most of our role models are individuals who 'succeeded' - via conformism or non-conformism. We need to incorporate the learnings from their trajectories and inspire students to find their place in society.
Similarly, the ideal of the heroic individual ranged against society is perhaps also due for change - collaboration, teamwork and facilitation are essential (and substantial) aspects of our work today.
The implication for the academy is to infuse students with the spirit of and the means to (and set an example itself) becoming a 'success' - not necessarily in the typical, conformist, mainstream fashion. The academy cannot afford to remain an ivory tower recluse, an exclusivist club, or worse still, suffering from a delusion of being a persecuted space.
The market, instead of being derided and ignored, should be viewed as an arena.
Community of learners
One of the greatest challenges today is to distribute learning and knowledge across as wide a section of people as possible, in an accessible and inclusive manner. This militates against the classical 'islands of excellence' model assumed by academies.
Maverick faculty
I agree with your premise that most of our attention has been focussed on the student and virtually none on the teacher. I agree that academies must equally serve to nurture faculty. However, how does one 'evaluate' the suitability of faculty without getting hijacked by status quo-ist preferences of product and form? I believe academies must prioritise agency and adventure over craft & skill.
Anti-establishment>Anti-anti-establishment
I confess that while I endorse the spirit of questioning status quo and non-conformism in general, I find the labouriousness involved fatiguing. I find myself asking: "What's wrong with being mainstream/ corporate/ commercial/ etc.?" Many arguments arise, but the sheer dreariness of the anti-establishment ideal inspires me to rebel against it.
The implication for the academy is by all means to encourage anti-establishment thought & action, but also not get mired in dogma & rhetoric.
Creative material, entrepreneurial & conceptual skills
I think the new academy would be, in essence, about creativity. This is the hot, new skill for the future and its core remains virtually unchanged regardless of its area of application or context - as creating works of art, or industrial products, or spaces for humans to live, work & play in. My professional path, which is by no means unique, should testify to this.
The implication for the academy is to provide a core capability in creative thinking, innovation, play, curiosity, experimentation and exploration as inherent attitude - and the entrepreneurial drive, rigour, commitment, etc. needed to pursue it. The elective could be media or area or context-specific, tailored by the individual student in accordance with her/his personal whim or plan.
Referencing as: history/ elite code/ institutionalizing ownership>Open source
I must confess I react to 'clues' and 'codes' with suspicion and skepticism, because to me they represent an elite of a sort (that excludes me!). While I'm not against unraveling history and context through an art work, I subscribe to the 'popular/populist' view best exemplified by Hindi cinema in principle.
The implication for the academy is to ensure a sound grounding in communication, followed by the space and scope to 'break the rules.'
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