Bragi Hilmarsson - interview

The visual artist Bragi Hilmarsson is a master's student in the art education department

 

„I had always been very interested in the arts as a child, but for a long time I thought that it would never become anything more than a hobby, says Bragi, who tried many things before he sat down in a school class in the art education department of LHÍ, including the Guide School and event management at the University of Hólum, but couldn't find himself properly anywhere.

„While in event management, I realized that I think bookkeeping, tax and toilet planning are deadly teaching materials. I wanted to learn something I was interested in and decided to apply for a fine arts program, which had always been behind my ear. It turned out to be the right decision“, says Bragi, who subsequently began studying at the department of fine art of LHÍ.

 

 

„There opened up a new world for me, both in art itself and in the society that comes with it. “ Then I was lucky enough to get a job related to art at Kópavogur's School of Fine Arts right after graduation and have worked there ever since. „

Braga wanted to be a better art teacher, but one of the teachers he had worked with in elementary school encouraged him to study as a teacher.

„I started studying at the University of Iceland together with my former classmate from the art department. “ Although we met great people and studied with good teachers, we didn't quite find ourselves in that environment. “

One day, Braga's classmate suggested they visit the Art Education Department at the Iceland University of the Arts to explore the possibility of switching over.

„When we got confirmed that it was possible, the decision was easy We agree that there is nothing like the spirit and the teaching at LHÍ The staff is extremely warm and the students are great“ There is a very good spirit in which people from different backgrounds come together, share their ideas and share their knowledge of the artsI know much more about the teaching of music, textiles and drama than ever before, which I would otherwise never have predicted, thanks to the diversity of the student teachers. “

 

 

„Hearing how other artists work and think is a very big part of what I feel makes the study particularly instructive. “ Also, I feel that the field study has taught me a lot about how other student teachers approach art education The teachers are also very generous with their wisdom and I feel they all have a real interest in the students. „

Bragi is aiming for graduation in the spring semester and is currently working on his master's project from the art education department. His final project is about checking if and how students in Icelandic elementary schools learn about contemporary art disciplines such as performances, installations and video works.

 

 

„I was blown away by these art forms when I met them in the art program, but have often been told from young and old that this is not real art because" „these are not paintings“ or „something to buy and own at home“. I believe that if people learn about these art forms in their youth, such attitudes could change with future generations.“

There are extensive writings ahead, numerous interviews and probably a number of reviews of the essay.

„It's a challenging process, but it's also an exciting challenge that I think is important I look forward to seeing where the research leads me and hope it can have a real impact After that, I'm going to take a break from the computer screen“, says Bragi, who is relentlessly aiming to continue teaching after graduation „I aim to teach in a school where I can use my experience and the knowledge I've gained to develop and test creative and interesting teaching methodsI'm also looking forward to continuing to teach in after-school courses and make use of all the tools I've acquired“.“