Present absence

When art education goes digital

Physical and spatial presence has been regarded as a prerequisite in art education, vital for learning as well as for the authentic art experience. The digital turn following Covid-19 lockdown challenged these truths. This paper investigates the challenges and possibilities of participation and learning when artists and art teachers who normally meet their young audiences face to face in physical venues, reorient themselves and move to digital spaces. Taking use of empirical data from two Norwegian institutions, and making use of the concept of emotional energy and the importance of co-presence, it pursues the following research question: How does participation take place, and perhaps change, when learning and experiencing art moves from its traditional physical mooring and into various digital formats and platforms?