School social work at Hittnau School is being greatly enhanced thanks to the initiative of Priska Dabkowska and the artistic project by Matthias Gubler. The artist is lending 44 of his '‘Videocollages’ to the school social worker. These digital works are presented on a white-framed 15-inch monitor in the school social work office – as a permanent artistic element in the everyday life of school social work.
Gubler sees the ‘Videocollages’ series as digital wall pictures. The source material comes from the internet: selected film sequences are processed into video loops lasting around one and a half minutes each, without any hard cuts. Two sequences are juxtaposed, creating a strong visual and thematic tension through their deliberate composition and the rhythm of the movements. The videos address social and political issues as well as inconspicuous everyday situations. Often humorous, sometimes sarcastic, but always aesthetically pleasing, they challenge viewers and stimulate personal associations.
Priska Dabkowska uses precisely this effect in her preventive work with children and young people. ‘Children and young people are enormously fascinated by moving images. Matthias Gubler's ‘Videocollages’ create an intermediate space – a moment of attention and pause. That's where I pick up the students,’ she says, describing her approach. The wide range of topics covered by the digital collages offers numerous starting points for discussion: depending on the viewer's background and life experience, individual associations arise that can be used as a bridge to further topics and interventions.
At the heart of this innovative use of art in school social work is the promotion of resilience and the strengthening of self-esteem. The creative and low-threshold approach promotes emotional and social skills, supports integration processes and develops constructive coping strategies. At the same time, the ‘Videocollages’ have a preventive effect by opening up space for individual topics and creating an atmosphere that encourages openness, creativity and reflection. ‘Art makes a significant contribution to the holistic development of children and young people,’ summarises Dabkowska. ‘It provides access to topics that are often difficult to address using traditional discussion methods, thereby strengthening an inclusive and appreciative school climate in the long term.’
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School social work at Hittnau School is being greatly enhanced thanks to the initiative of Priska Dabkowska and the artistic project by Matthias Gubler. The artist is lending 44 of his '‘Videocollages’ to the school social worker. These digital works are presented on a white-framed 15-inch monitor in the school social work office – as a permanent artistic element in the everyday life of school social work.
Gubler sees the ‘Videocollages’ series as digital wall pictures. The source material comes from the internet: selected film sequences are processed into video loops lasting around one and a half minutes each, without any hard cuts. Two sequences are juxtaposed, creating a strong visual and thematic tension through their deliberate composition and the rhythm of the movements. The videos address social and political issues as well as inconspicuous everyday situations. Often humorous, sometimes sarcastic, but always aesthetically pleasing, they challenge viewers and stimulate personal associations.
Priska Dabkowska uses precisely this effect in her preventive work with children and young people. ‘Children and young people are enormously fascinated by moving images. Matthias Gubler's ‘Videocollages’ create an intermediate space – a moment of attention and pause. That's where I pick up the students,’ she says, describing her approach. The wide range of topics covered by the digital collages offers numerous starting points for discussion: depending on the viewer's background and life experience, individual associations arise that can be used as a bridge to further topics and interventions.
At the heart of this innovative use of art in school social work is the promotion of resilience and the strengthening of self-esteem. The creative and low-threshold approach promotes emotional and social skills, supports integration processes and develops constructive coping strategies. At the same time, the ‘Videocollages’ have a preventive effect by opening up space for individual topics and creating an atmosphere that encourages openness, creativity and reflection. ‘Art makes a significant contribution to the holistic development of children and young people,’ summarises Dabkowska. ‘It provides access to topics that are often difficult to address using traditional discussion methods, thereby strengthening an inclusive and appreciative school climate in the long term.’
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