I collaborated with with 5th graders to make anti-bully robots on their school walls.
I have an on-going art project that deals with school bullying and how to prevent it. I have made murals in schools now in Berlin, Germany and schools in and close to Helsinki, Finland.
First I Talk to the kids a bit, then we draw together. Kids draw anti-bully robots and explain how the robots prevent bullying. Some are cute, some funny, some might even be scary.
After the drawing session I combine the drawings into one big one and then I make a painting out of it. The combinations phase is interesting. Some of the robots have similar features: I try to combine them into one. Some are unique and I try to take those into account as well.
Then I paint the robot on the school wall, on a place we checked out earlier with the faculty.
The robot acts as a totem animal for the children: everyone has drawn a robot and can find their piece of the puzzle on the wall, therefor eveyone is committed to prevent bullying.
