Schüler-Austausch Bologna-Frankfurt 2023/24
EXCHANGE BETWEEN HEINRICH-VON-GAGERN-GYMNASIUM AND LICEO RIGHI
BOLOGNA – MAYA DI GABRIELE, CLASS: 5L – 5th February 2024
On Monday morning our class from Bologna with our teachers, Ms Gallo and Mr Marsilia together with Ms Sgrosso (responsible for the Italian exchange at HvGG) joined the art workshop, organized by the very competent Art and Theatre teacher Hans-Martin Scholder. The topic of this workshop was to express our emotions through body language, music and the painting of some masks.
Initially, we were asked to walk aimlessly around the perimeter of the classroom in a hasty and confusing manner, then, accompanied by cheerful music, we also had to congratulate each other or say something nice that reminded us of happiness. The same was done with slow and shrill, sad and melancholic music that aroused sadness so that we could see how differently we would react. We immediately slowed down our pace and we were also expected to say something sad to anyone who crossed our path. Finally, with the help of sweet and gentle music, we had to express what we believe is love through body language. This specific part of the workshop was immensely intense and exciting, as well as further evidence that not only words are necessary to express certain feelings. After hugs and tears of emotion we got to the end of the theatrical part of the workshop, this time we were asked to show madness as a state of mind, always with the help of lively and cheerful music. We gathered in a large circle and started jumping and dancing together throughout the room until Mr Scholder turned off the music and invited us to approach a long table set with large sheets of paper and lots of tempera colours. At this point we started the art workshop. Our goal was to create masks that represented us in some way. Thanks to the brushes we were given we drew and painted out the most different masks, rich in colours and expressiveness. Once we had finished and tidied up the classroom, we thanked the teacher, who gave us the enormous opportunity to express ourselves, which is not taken for granted in a school context.
In conclusion, we ended up this activity and we definitely felt enriched as we managed to go beyond our comfort zone and we experienced the essence of art in its complicated simplicity. The Italian writer Pirandello said that we all wear at least one mask, but I can almost certainly say that, on that day and for a few moments, we dropped them all.
