Destination unknown : art and Mediterranean pedagogies

Abstract

The epistemological, anthropological, and political problems inherent in any attempt to define a Mediterranean “identity” have been debated in a variety of academic fields for decades, though less so in art education. While maintaining a skeptical outlook toward any generalized forms or attempts to homogenize the field, this chapter argues that there are lessons to be learned by art educators who confront myriad contradictions that come with the region, among which one could include the manufacturing of history lessons, the idea of exchange, the impact of cultural identities, and the (im)possibility of challenging conventional pedagogies in the arts. The educational and artistic implications of these contradictions can be appreciated not only by searching within the immediate realm of art education but also by attending to discussions about the Mediterranean emanating from other disciplinary fields. This interdisciplinary approach to the Mediterranean in art education transforms the region into a space for pedagogies that question the things we think we know about ourselves and others.