Decolonial Perspectives in Art Education through A/r/tography and Physical Theatre in a Francophone Context

Abstract

This study introduces a research method for contemporary art education, combining a/r/tographic processes with the ideas of French thinker Antonin Artaud, Jacques Lecoq's Physical Theatre, and decolonial theory. The aim is to train future teachers to appreciate and teach art from a holistic and decolonial approach, exploring Francophone abstract art in Africa. Abstract works by Francophone African artists were selected, and an intervention was designed where students created compositions through the body, interpreting colours, shapes, and emotions through gestural language. The results indicated a deeper connection with abstract art and broadened the perspective of the traditional artistic canon, promoting inclusive and diverse art education. The adopted bodily approach proved effective in overcoming traditional barriers in the appreciation of abstract art, facilitating a more intuitive and emotional understanding, beneficial for students without previous artistic training. This study marks an important step towards more inclusive, diverse, and transformative art education, strengthening the bond between francophone nations.