Fröbel studio: Institute for Creativity, Crawford Art Gallery, 2019
An interactive space where art, architecture, design, education & play intersect.
Froebel Studio: Institute for Creativity is an interactive installation, making direct visual and conceptual reference to educational play objects devised by educator and inventor of kindergarten, Friedrich Fröebel (1782-1852). Fröebel was one of the pioneers of pedagogy, who placed play at the center of his teachings as a typical childhood activity that is of great educational value. His “play-gifts” and teaching material continue to be acknowledged to this day, including the basic pedagogic forms he developed of the sphere, cylinder and cube, which are still employed. Fröebel’s construction blocks and movement games were also a source of inspiration for abstract artists and the Bauhaus movement. Parenthood acted as the catalyst for this inquiry into methods of merging real life with O'Kane's art practice—where his ongoing concerns are the synergetic interplay of art, architecture, design, and education. Despite the art historical references, Fröebel Studio: The Institute for Creativity is designed as a platform for developing creativity, to be experienced by adults and children alike, as well as teachers and schools.