When I joined the Jihlava gallery seven years ago, KEP in Olomouc was my first meeting with fellow educators. I remember coming back from the two-day meeting absolutely thrilled. I was impressed by the professional approach, great background and completely open communication. I returned from Olomouc with the same feelings this time as well. We spent the first day in the Archdiocesan Museum (AMO) and the second in the Museum of Modern Art. Here, the colleagues introduced us in detail to two educational programs that were created for items from museums’s art collection that have been newly digitized and are not in the permanent exhibition of the museum or gallery. I was pleasantly surprised by the approach of presenting works that are not normally seen to the public. The presentation and tour took the whole morning. After lunch, my colleague David took us through the exhibition of the Hungarian artist László Lakner, whom most of us did not know. After that we said goodbye saying that we are all looking forward to the next meeting already. But let's go back to the beginning, a day earlier.
The meeting was opened by the chairperson of KEP, Lucie Haškovcová, who informed us about the activities of the chamber and the activities it provides. This was followed by a tour of the new exhibition spaces and exposition in the attic of the Archdiocese Museum. After lunch, the tour was followed by the head of the education department, Marek Šobáň, who presented us with his new educational program entitled With a view of the other side. We were able to try part of the program literally on our own skin. The goal was to get to know the program and experience its first part, so that we could continue the discussion that was devoted to the topic of the meaning and value of human life, morality and the desire for immortality across the centuries. The topic caught the attention of many colleagues, and the comments on the topic and the program itself were very beneficial for me as well. The program that followed did not completely abandon the previous theme. In the movement workshop with lecturer Anna Boček Ronovská, we focused on the possibility of movement and somatic approaches in education. The theme was the Body and the un-real. Another great experience for me personally, thanks to which I know that I don't have to worry about movement and it is possible to include it in our educational activities. Another workshop followed in the early evening, where we had the opportunity to work with a 3D pen and photography. The day was closed with a social meeting, roasting sausages and a night experience game that took place in the darkened AMO. Colleagues from Olomouc showed us how education can be used at every opportunity. The final sound installation was a surprise, during which we got to know the story of little Jesus. It was set in contemporary real life and ended with the words of the narrator, who is talking to the Virgin Mary: "So bye and kiss, my Merciful!" A nice experience that amused us with its playfulness. The ingenuity of colleagues is, it seems, boundless.
Hanka, Denisa, Renáta, David and Marek, thank you for a nice and inspiring meeting!
So for the third time! Bye and kiss, I'm looking forward to the next time!
Pavlína Pitrová, April 2024
