Let's Recreate with Your Camera: Inclusive Adventures in the Vasarely Museum

Abstract

Working with children or adults with severe and multiple disabilities is often a challenge for both teachers and social workers. Educational as well as art therapy methods often rely on verbal communication. There is a definite need for methods developed for people with limited language code. The training, which included theory and practice in art therapy methods for people with severe and multiple disabilities, was held at the St Elisabeth Nursing Home in Ipolytölgyes. The unique element of the training was that after the theoretical blocks, participants could have first hand experience of the methods just learned with the help of our participative assistants: the residents of the institution, who were familiar with the given method. People who have a limited verbal code to communicate often have a rich visual imagination and like to take photographs. On the final day of the training, we visited the Vasarely Museum, where each participant had an experiential expert partner to work together on the task given by the trainers. The task was to rethink the artworks they had seen: to create new images using the partner(s) as part(s) of the new artwork and make photos of their creations. This task provided a basis for avoiding a subordinate relationship, and to work instead as mutual and equal partners. Vasarely’s art inspired the participants, and in many cases, in addition to the initial pairs, the photographer who recreated the image chose one or more models from the entire group of participants to create a composition that harmonised or complemented the colours and shapes of the original works.