Tag: Beuys

Posted in 2025-2026, Blog, Books, Reading, Reflection

Rebecca Fortnum Talk-26th May

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I thought I wouldn’t need to post anything this week… but who knows what you might hear or see that you simply can’t resist writing about.

“No Knowing” is a topic that feels complicated and confusing to me unless I break it down for myself. There are things I have experienced and felt, but there are also moments that make me stop and think: hang on, I need to understand this more, at least for myself! Because it’s also difficult to know whether you are right or wrong.

Rebecca Fortnum spoke about the unknown and the idea of “not knowing” within artistic practice, about allowing “the other” to become part of the process that helps you understand what you don’t yet know in your work. She mentioned an artist who brought oak trees to Tate, explaining how they didn’t choose where to place them and wished they could move them around and experiment more, but practicality meant the trees had to remain where they were installed. I missed the artist’s name, so I need to watch the recording again and read On Not Knowing: How Artists Think by Elizabeth Fisher and Rebecca Fortnum.

But if she was referring to Ackroyd & Harvey’s installation of 100 oak trees outside Tate Modern, celebrating Joseph Beuys, then the context becomes important. Entitled Beuys’ Acorns, the project began in 2007 and marked 100 years since the birth of Joseph Beuys. The work was inspired by Beuys’ 7000 Oaks. Knowing this information changes things for me. It becomes clear that the artists and organisers did, in fact, know what they wanted. There was intention, research, and historical context behind the project.

Another interesting example mentioned in the session was Bruce Nauman’s Fat Chance John Cage. For me, this work represents a healthier interpretation of “not knowing” and of relying on chance. an acceptance of imperfect and limited knowledge without necessarily becoming vulnerable or directionless. Even the inclusion of “John Cage” in the title, much like Beuys’ Acorns, offers information and context. It shows where the artist is coming from. There is still knowledge present.

So what happens when I do not know? And when I interact with someone else who also does not know what I really want or need? Sometimes that uncertainty can create chances, accidents, and unexpected discoveries, some beautiful, some uncomfortable. But completely removing knowledge can place artists in vulnerable situations.

If I’m playing with chance through repetition, as seen in Rebecca Fortnum’s drawings of children with closed eyes or the unknown death mask, then I understand that as an openness to what technical or practical processes might allow to happen. But there is still an underlying knowledge of intention. For example, if I decide to draw faces, I already know what I want to engage with. Through chance, I might then discover something beautiful or unexpected that leads me towards new research and new knowledge. To me, this feels like another healthy form of “not knowing”.

So what worries me is when “not knowing” becomes a comfort zone, something that leaves me vulnerable to gaslighting, manipulation, or losing my sense of direction altogether. It was difficult to express this during the session because I worried it could be misunderstood. But one of the great things about this course is that we have a blog for documentation and reflection.

Posted in 2025-2026, Books, collaboration, Exhibitions, Moon, Reading, Tutorials 2025-26, Writing

1-1 Tutorial 22nd April

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Last week I had my final 1–1 tutorial, and it was a very valuable conversation in which I was able to reflect on my work and plan for the coming months, thinking about challenges and what matters most right now. Having this discussion at this stage feels important, because I believe I need Jonathan’s insight and guidance while I’m still in the process of making.

The tutorial gave me a great deal of confidence, and the next day I began designing the bone-dry tea set. I made 21 pieces for the tea set, alongside over 20 small crescent forms, which I will use to make bookmarks for our MA Digital class. Each ceramic piece carrying a story from colonial history. I find that I can’t add anything to the work unless I’m sure it’s relevant and contributes to the overall narrative, and this does slow me down slightly. However, this has been one of the most important lessons during my MA: taking the time to build a cohesive body of work, without unnecessary additions or distractions. I can easily feel overwhelmed and distracted but I have learned to recognise that moment. When it happens, I stop adding and instead spend time reading around the theme or taking a break. This is how my ceramics project develops through slow reading, while the Moon Book has developed through slow writing.

I spent the week working with clay, while also setting up the new show at Liverpool St George’s Hall, where I will be showing Moon Book pages on silk (factory print). I made these last year for The Right Map 2025 but did not have the right opportunity to present them. Now they feel more suited to the theme (Home and Away) and to the space at St George’s Hall. I installed them over a long black heater, where the warm air creates a gentle movement in the work, subtly animating the delicate sheets.

At the core of my social sculpture practice is care and the intention to make a meaningful difference. The Moon Book demonstrates this clearly by connecting people and creating space for shared vulnerability. After the last workshop, some participants began sending me letters in response to others letters. I feel a deep sense of gratitude towards this project and the people involved. Writing letters feels especially meaningful, and I’m  excited about the next book Dear Friend (2027). What I find particularly beautiful is that some children are growing up through this process, and some participants who have never met are writing to each other with genuine care and intimacy. It shows how powerful and delicate these connections are. I feel I owe a great deal to everyone who has taken part.

The tea set also functions as a form of social sculpture. It consists of multiple pieces that invite interaction, through storytelling, through history, and through use. Sharing stories from the past is itself a way of engaging with people who are no longer here. In this sense, the work becomes a way to educate, to encourage questions, and to create opportunities for participation.

For example, discussing the Opium War  came up in my tutorial with Jonathan. We began asking: how many “opium wars” exist today? How many forms of addiction are being created, and how will these stories be told in the future? Simply bringing these questions to the table is part of the work. It opens up dialogue and that is where social sculpture begins to happen.

Posted in 2025-2026, collaboration, curation, Experiments, Motivations, Research, Social Sculpture, Visit

Free Workshops

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Last Sunday, I spent a rewarding day with Ghost Art School and creatives from October Salon (a new collective in Preston led byHannah Browne). My aim was to organise a free workshops day, focused on sharing knowledge and skills without the need for materials or money. I offered an introductory session in British Sign Language (BSL), while Liverpool-based artists Tom Kelly and Tom Doubtfire generously shared aspects of their practices. Hannah provided the space in Preston, making the event possible through collaboration rather than institutional support.

The day had several clear intentions. Firstly, I wanted to gather with peers and begin the year in a meaningful, collaborative way, learning together and exchanging knowledge. Secondly, the event allowed us to engage with October Salon, an emerging creative group, and to demonstrate what can happen through collective artistic practice.

The programme began with Tom Doubtfire leading a discussion on the role of the artist and the relationship between art and activism. His reflections centred on disturbance, sustainability, sacrifice, and focus. The group discussed what it means for art to be disturbing, what sustainable practice might look like, how much we are willing to sacrifice and the importance of setting limits, also how to remain focused on our aims.

This was followed by my one-hour introduction to BSL. My motivation for teaching BSL stems from both personal conviction and historical awareness. The language was banned in the United Kingdom between 1880 and 1970, and despite its cultural and social importance, it still receives limited funding in education. BSL was officially recognised as a language in 2003 and granted legal status in 2022, yet it is still not included in the GCSE curriculum. In this context, teaching BSL freely can be understood as a quiet form of activism! Challenging ableism, questioning unequal access to culture, and sharing knowledge rather than gatekeeping it.

BSL is also highly visual and expressive, connecting strongly with creative disciplines. It can influence performance, filmmaking, choreography, and storytelling, functioning not only as a language but also as an artistic medium. More broadly, offering knowledge without payment can be seen as a response to the increasing commercialisation of the arts. It reminds us that generosity and collective growth still hold value.

The day concluded with a workshop led by Tom Kelly, which provided a joyful ending. His approach to clowning demonstrated that it’s not simply about being silly, but about exploring human emotions through humour and vulnerability. Through simple games and spontaneous interaction, the group communicated naturally, without preparation. There was a strong sense of care, kindness, and mutual respect among participants.

The structure of the day loosely echoed Joseph Beuys’ idea of the Free International University, an artist-led model of education independent from institutions and grounded in dialogue and shared learning. By offering knowledge freely and prioritising exchange over production, the gathering became less about outcomes and more about shaping a temporary community through participation.

For me, the impact of this day was more meaningful than any individual artwork I’ve made recently. It highlighted the importance of shared time, laughter, and informal learning within creative communities. It felt like an encouraging and significant beginning for the group, grounded in connection rather than productivity alone

Posted in 2025-2026, Assignments, Reading, Research, Social Sculpture, Writing

MA Fine Art Digital Student Research Paper

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Some advice from someone who went through this during one of the strangest periods of my life: first, believe me you will be fine! Secondly, anyone who has reached this point is capable and already moving in the right direction.

Choose what genuinely interests you. Read from different sources and use their reading lists, references, and resources to trace where ideas began. Have conversations with yourself about your work, explain what you are doing as if you were lecturing a BA student or leading a workshop; ask yourself what you would share and why!

You don’t need to read every book from the first page to the last.. Use the index to search for your key words, this is especially helpful when time is tight.

After I submitted my final assignments, I shared my research draft with my artist friends and just received praise. Later, I shared it with a friend who is a midwife and a PhD researcher in gynaecology. She gave me the most valuable feedback and asked thoughtful, constructive questions. This made me feel genuinely confident about the work; if someone outside your field can engage with your writing , that is a very good sign. My advice, therefore, is to share your second draft with the right non-artist friend from a different profession. It can open your eyes to perspectives that no artist including yourself could see.

Some “Don’t” Advice I Wish I Had Given Myself!

  • Don’t leave “small” tasks until the last minute.

They are the easiest to forget and can cause unnecessary stress close to submission, title’s page, formatting, construction, references, PDF …etc

  • Don’t rely on memory alone when submitting work.

Overwhelm and fatigue can make important details easy to miss, use a checklist instead, revisit the research guid’s page on your course blog!!

  • Don’t rename files by changing word order.

Playing with wording in file names can quickly become confusing; numbering drafts is far clearer.

  • Don’t hesitate to explain personal circumstances.

Even if it feels close to the deadline, communicating difficulties puts you on safer ground.

  • Don’t limit your reading to your own cohort’s blogs.

You miss valuable learning by not looking at work from earlier years.

Final Paper:

Karema Munassar Rethinking Social Sculpture MA Fine Art Digital 2026Download

Third Final Draft:

karema Munassar- 2024-26- research paper – Digital Fine Art-CSM copyDownload

Second Draft :

copy-of-research-paper-2025-26-karema-social-sculpture-copyDownload

First Draft:

Karema- Unit 1- Research Paper Brief 2025-26Download
Posted in 2025-2026, Reading, Reflection, Research, Writing

Beuys and Sylvester

Posted on by KM

When I was reading for my research paper, I kept thinking about the unusual and slightly funny relationship between the German artist Joseph Beuys and the British critic David Sylvester! They were both major figures in modern art, but they never managed to build a close or comfortable connection.

Sylvester saw how important Beuys was. He never denied Beuys’s impact or how strongly he shaped his time, just as Duchamp had done for modern art. Even so, their relationship never became warm or collaborative. Sylvester had deep, ongoing conversations with many artists, but with Beuys he stayed distant, almost cautious.

This shows clearly in his writing. Sylvester never wrote a whole book about Beuys, nor explored him in the focused way he did with others. Beuys appears only here and there, usually as one example inside bigger discussions about conceptual art and post Duchamp ideas. Important, yes, but never at the centre.

The moment that captures their dynamic best is a small story Sylvester shared in About Modern Art, 2002 p.514-15. Beuys came to visit him at his flat in South London, bringing his wife, children and another friend. Before they entered, Sylvester asked him to remove his shoes, which he always asked visitors to do to protect his antique Persian carpets. Beuys refused!! His hat and clothes were part of his artistic identity and he would not take them off.. Sylvester refused too!! So they stood outside on the pavement, stuck between two different kinds of pride.

The more I think about it, the more I wonder what felt most important at that moment. For Sylvester, was it the artwork he lived with the antique rugs he treasured and protected or the chance to welcome an artist who was reshaping the art world? And for Beuys, a well established artist known for his big ideas, what mattered more being treated as a significant cultural figure, someone above everyday rules, or simply being a human guest respecting the home he was entering?!

In that moment, neither chose flexibility… And because of that, the visit never really began!

I find this story surprisingly touching…These were people who changed the direction of art, yet a simple request about shoes created a pause they could not overcome. Their relationship was always a mix of respect, misunderstanding, admiration and a bit of irritation.

They never became close, but their awkward meetings reveal something real about personality, ego and the small rituals of daily life. Maybe that is why I keep returning to this story. It shows how the biggest ideas in art can be interrupted by tiny habits and decisions. And sometimes, the most memorable parts of art history are not the grand gestures, but the little ones, like the moment when two strong characters collide at a doorway🙃