I Grew Tired of Radical Education

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.

Engy Mohsen is an artist and curator who lives and works between Zürich and Cairo. Her work examines notions of ‘participation’ and ‘collectivity’ by creating frameworks that invite non-artists and artists to think about how spaces can be organized to include the ‘other’. While spatial thinking remains at the core of her interdisciplinary practice, she works with publishing as a central framework. She is one of the five founding members of K-oh-llective. She was previously part of Artists for Artists (AfA) Masterclass: Radical Care, MASS Alexandria, Roznama Studio Program, and School of Commons. Currently, she is pursuing a master’s degree in Transdisciplinary Studies at Zürich University of the Arts.