Many of you may have noticed the colourful geometric shapes and designs appearing all around the UNIS campus. This is the work of the 8th grade art class, a project from their unit which involves how students examining how mathematical concepts can be used to inspire composition and express cultural values. The students question the idea of using geometric designs to communicate artistic intention, collaborating to create artwork that reflects the culture of their generation. The unit has inspired an incredibly innovative art project featuring tape artworks installed around the school based on  tapeart. This is a temporary piece, the idea being that you should appreciate the art when it’s here.  

I personally think it is a wonderful work, the mystery of the triangles and squares cropping up everywhere, the mystery when you spot another piece: perhaps on the floor in front of the canteen or on the mirror in the girls  bathroom. It makes opening a door or walking down a corridor more interesting, rather than the usual banal hospital-like feel. UNIS has such vibrant and creative students and finally the school and campus is reflecting our inventive student  population.

So Yeon, an 8th grader and collaborator in this project loved the creativity involved in this project. “When you say ‘art’ you think of drawing, painting and sketching. This art form is unique. I found creating the piece a bit difficult because of you have to be precise and it involves a lot of attention to detail. You have to trick someone’s eye, but also let them see how it is made and what the shapes are,” said So Yeon.

Despite controversy surrounding the tape shapes placement on the walls (which are adhered to the walls using blu tack to protect the paintwork on the walls), I feel that the community of artists at UNIS will benefit from this: the arts, especially visual arts are more often than not swept away to the sides, while sports and other activities are favoured. This project is prompting discussion and debate about what is art, and how does this art reflect our place in space and time. People who aren’t into art have told me how cool they thought the piece was. This shows that if people don’t come to the art, all you need to do is bring the art to them and they will appreciate it. Elementary students, in particular, are charmed by the pieces, jumping from cube to cube.

I find that there is barely any recognition of all the work created other than a week-long exhibition twice a year that, while great, does not allow the amazing works of my peers to be appreciated. It is wonderful to see this art project all around the school, not just shunted to the arts centre where not everyone can appreciate it. This collaborative art piece is really cool yet it also brings the visual arts community here at UNIS to light. I hope that engaging projects like this will keep popping up around the school, especially coming from the younger students.

Be sure to check out this art project before it’s gone and commend the students involved in this project as they have worked hard to produce these works!