Tracing the emergence of self-organized, independent art schools in Arabic-speaking countries, both in the present and recent years, Mohsen aims to delve into how these individuals’ movements shape knowledge within the realms of art education, practice, and research. The research adopts a structured approach based on two significant moments: the initial “arrival” as a student/participant in these art schools, followed by the subsequent “return” as a teacher/mentor. This dual perspective aims to ensure the continuity of knowledge within these spaces across time. By mapping the trajectories of these individuals and gaining insights into what informed their thinking and practices during the interim period, the study seeks to explore the concept of “knowledge flows.”
The performative nature of knowledge dissemination within self-organized art schools is examined, considering factors such as the continuous movement of individuals, improvised strategies, and ongoing crossovers. Two primary components constitute the research: a field report encompassing the analytical aspects and a protocol of learnings with a speculative dimension. The field report delves into examining the impact of mobility in cultural and socio-economic contexts, intertwined with individual narratives of cross-border exchange. This exploration encompasses a wide range of aspects, including transnational accounts, dynamics of translation and untranslatability, and the exploration of alternative learning methods derived from diverse models of self-organized learning spaces within the domain of contemporary art practices, with a particular focus on the Arab world.
