INSPIRATION AFRICA!
Project 11
Alexandra Infants School
VISIT TO THE HORNIMAN MUSEUM


Pupils from Alexandra Infants School visited the Horniman Museum to see the African Worlds exhibition on the morning of Monday, 15th Janurary 2001. Viv started the session with a talk about their selected key object, the Osi Audu painting - I have a landscape in my head.

In the piece 'I have a landscape in my head' Osi Audu is exploring the sensation of flight in dreams. The work is a reference to the Yoruba concept of 'ori-inu' (literally 'inner head' in Yoruba) where the head is the seat of destiny and location of each person's private yet potent set of dreams. Read more background information about "I have a landscape in my head".

Viv asked the children to close their eyes and imagine that they were in another place, a favourite place doing something that they especially liked doing. The children did this for a minute or so then shared their dreams:
"I was horse-riding across a field"
"I was dancing at a party"
"I was having a picnic"

After this the pupils were asked to look at the painting again and write down some words on their worksheets about how it makes them feel. (Although a couple of children wrote they didn't like it, almost all of the children said that the painting made them feel HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY!)

"It makes me feel big and happy." "Happy, smiley, wishes." "Colours, nice, round." "It makes me feel like I'm on holiday." "Happy, big, warm." "Happy and sleepy." "Beautiful, lovely, good." "Clapping hands, happy." "Funny." "Like a picnic."

Next the pupils were asked to find 2 different shapes or patterns on objects in the exhibition and to draw them.

Finally pupils had to find a painting or object they really liked in the African Worlds exhibition and draw it carefully. The pupils then regrouped to summarise the visit with Tony and to write an acrostic poem around their keyword.

What wicked, wild witches and whales
I saw the masks, the mummy cases, the statue lady, the lion model
Scary stripes and snakes
Happy haunting horns and hats
Exploration, exciting elephant episodes. Exit
Super snake


Back to top of page
Back to visit page with images
Back to AIS opening page
Back to schools/projects section