Project title: raison d'être*
*reason to be
Background
Language is action, based on embodied simulations in real space of the world around us, facilitating speech acts that both literally change the world and are changed by it. Art is also a form of meaningful communicative action using visual sign systems. Taking place in the public sphere, art leads us to explore the question of its function and the social role of contemporary artist.
Performative and process-based art practices provide ‘context’ through collaborative encounters and conversations beyond the institutional confines of gallery or museum. In these interventions, aesthetic experience challenge conventional perceptions and systems of knowledge. Most of these art practices positively influence communities in a growing global climate of widening differences in cultures, religions and nationalities. Current dominant framework for exchange across these boundaries is a market system that generates its own divisive schisms, based on class and economic status. A social art intervention can help bridge these divisions.
Project raison d'être is a student project for fulfillment of the module Community-based Project. As a meditation on art, self and community-building, this project aims to facilitate a dialogue among diverse communities of the West of Ireland through a social art intervention, collaboration and use of technology. Dr Kabat-Zinn has defined mindfulness meditation as “the awareness that arises from paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally”. By focusing on the breath, the idea is to cultivate attention on the body and mind as it is, moment to moment, and so help with pain, both physical and emotional. Mindful eating means being fully attentive to your food including buying, preparing, serving, and consuming it.
This project invites individuals, local and global communities to adopt the practice of mindfulness and mindful eating through the use of social media and technology. Mindful eating requires a few adjustments in the way we approach food and this project addresses that in the form of a guided meditation. The concept of mindful eating goes beyond the individual and include agriculture, environment and sustainable development. The use of social media and technology to deliver this resource ensure access and sustainability.
Originally the project aimed to hold a public and online event consisting of screening of a short video explaining what mindfulness and mindful eating are (5 min) followed by a 7-10 minutes of audio-guided mindful eating. The event was proposed to be carried out at the same time in both GMIT campuses (Galway and Castlebar), IT Sligo and broadcast online via YouTube. Due to the Covid-19 situation, the video event could not go ahead as planned. However a test-run of the event was carried out in the class room before the pandemic.
Performative and process-based art practices provide ‘context’ through collaborative encounters and conversations beyond the institutional confines of gallery or museum. In these interventions, aesthetic experience challenge conventional perceptions and systems of knowledge. Most of these art practices positively influence communities in a growing global climate of widening differences in cultures, religions and nationalities. Current dominant framework for exchange across these boundaries is a market system that generates its own divisive schisms, based on class and economic status. A social art intervention can help bridge these divisions.
Project raison d'être is a student project for fulfillment of the module Community-based Project. As a meditation on art, self and community-building, this project aims to facilitate a dialogue among diverse communities of the West of Ireland through a social art intervention, collaboration and use of technology. Dr Kabat-Zinn has defined mindfulness meditation as “the awareness that arises from paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally”. By focusing on the breath, the idea is to cultivate attention on the body and mind as it is, moment to moment, and so help with pain, both physical and emotional. Mindful eating means being fully attentive to your food including buying, preparing, serving, and consuming it.
This project invites individuals, local and global communities to adopt the practice of mindfulness and mindful eating through the use of social media and technology. Mindful eating requires a few adjustments in the way we approach food and this project addresses that in the form of a guided meditation. The concept of mindful eating goes beyond the individual and include agriculture, environment and sustainable development. The use of social media and technology to deliver this resource ensure access and sustainability.
Originally the project aimed to hold a public and online event consisting of screening of a short video explaining what mindfulness and mindful eating are (5 min) followed by a 7-10 minutes of audio-guided mindful eating. The event was proposed to be carried out at the same time in both GMIT campuses (Galway and Castlebar), IT Sligo and broadcast online via YouTube. Due to the Covid-19 situation, the video event could not go ahead as planned. However a test-run of the event was carried out in the class room before the pandemic.
Test run
A pilot event was test-run on 10 March 2020 in the classroom attended by 11 participants. The video was uploaded to YouTube and set to premier at an appropriate time. Before the video started, each participant received a box of raisins and a feedback form. At the end of session feedback was collected and analysed.
Feedback: Following suggestions were made by the participants:
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Photographs from test-run event
raison d'être - the practice video
In light of the feedback, changes were made to the video and the final version uploaded to YouTube.
YouTube channel name: raisondetre
Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_G2aOFeU5xfBDFiUNjjcnQ
YouTube channel name: raisondetre
Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_G2aOFeU5xfBDFiUNjjcnQ
Conclusion
The video is free for public to use as a practice tool for mindful eating. It can be utilised by individuals, groups, institutions and organisations, as an event, in-person or online, to practice mindful eating. The event can be promoted online using different social media and providing the link to the video.
References:
Mulloy, J., 2019. The Theory of Communicative Action, Art and the Public Sphere. [online via Moodle] Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology. Available at <https://learnonline.gmit.ie/pluginfile.php/101524/mod_resource/content/1/2%20Communicative%20action.pdf> [Accessed Date 5 March 2020]
Nelson, J.B., 2017. Mindful Eating: The Art of Presence While You Eat. Diabetes Spectrum, 30(3), pp.171-174.
Kabat-Zinn, J., 2012. Mindfulness for beginners: Reclaiming the present moment—and your life. Sounds True.
Nelson, J.B., 2017. Mindful Eating: The Art of Presence While You Eat. Diabetes Spectrum, 30(3), pp.171-174.
Kabat-Zinn, J., 2012. Mindfulness for beginners: Reclaiming the present moment—and your life. Sounds True.