Jacqueine Abend

Lesson #1

Rirkrit Tiravanija and Sacred Spaces

Grade Level &

Duration

7th grade, 45 minutes

Materials

Projector, computer, video, colored pencils, paper, markers

Goal

Students will analyze a work of contemporary art and interpret its

meaning through the concept of sacred space.

Objectives

SWBAT observe the piece untitled (Free) by artist Rirkrit

Tiravanija and relate its meaning as creating a sacred space.

Anticipatory Set

I will ask students if they know the definition of contemporary (by

literal definition, means occurring in the present) and briefly
introduce them to the concept of contemporary art. At its most basic
definition, contemporary art simply means art created in the present
day. It includes many art movements after the end of World War II,
for example, performance art and graffiti art, which differ from
traditional painting and drawing styles (like Leonardo da Vinci).
At the beginning of the lesson, I will also ask students to keep in
mind the meaning of the word sacred. By definition, sacred has
religious connotations. I will ask students to discuss at their tables
for a few minutes what they think sacred means and to come up
with a few adjectives that they feel describes a place that feels
sacred to them, religious or not. After the students share their words,
I will then write or circle, if already up there, the following words
on the board to set the tone for the lesson:
-

Special
Safe
Relaxing
Happy

Jacqueine Abend
Instruction

I will introduce the students to contemporary Thai artist, Rirkrit

Tiravanija (have the class pronounce it with me as ruk-rit tea-rahvah-nit), and his piece I will be showing them today, untitled (Free).
I will explain that Tiravanijas work might seem strange to them, he
does not make anything with paint or clay or drawing. In this
artwork, he makes free food for people who visit a gallery. The
people come to the gallery and instead of seeing art, they eat food.
Students will then be shown a 3 minute video about his work at the
MoMA.
http://www.moma.org/explore/inside_out/2012/02/03/rirkrittiravanija-cooking-up-an-art-experience

Independent
Practice

I will utilize the numbered heads technique. I will split the class into
four groups and assign each member a number. I will give each
group notecards with one of the following quotes from the video
and ask them to relate it to the idea of a sacred space.
-

You are the art and you are making the art in real time as
you eat the curry and talk to your friends.

You actually are not really looking at something, but you

are in it. You are a part of it.

A kind of art that is not necessarily just made, but

apprehended as art because of the context its in

Within the context of the museum it becomes a work of art

because the artist, by putting it here, asks the viewers and the
participants to apprehend and to participate in it as art.

After giving the groups 5 minutes to discuss what they thought of

the video and the quote, I will then call out a number and have that
student in each group share what they thought of the quote in terms
of sacred space. I will then give them revised versions of the quotes
where I have substituted the phrase sacred space. I will give them
5 minutes to discuss this new quote and assess whether it is easier to
understand the concept of a sacred space in Tiravanijas work now:
-

You are the sacred space and you are making the sacred
space in real time as you eat the curry and talk to your
friends.

Jacqueine Abend
-

You actually are not really looking at a sacred space, but

you are in a sacred space. You are a part of a sacred space.

A kind of sacred space that is not necessarily just made,

but apprehended as a sacred space because of the context its
in

Within the context of the museum it becomes a sacred

space because the artist, by putting it here, asks the viewers
and the participants to apprehend and to participate in it as a
sacred space.

I will then call out a number and ask each member of the group to
share their findings. I will ask if it is easier to understand the art
now and its purpose to think about Tiravanija creating a sacred
space by bringing people together to socialize and share an
experience.
Assessment

I will ask students to think about an event they participated in,

outside of church or temple, which they felt was special. Examples:
a birthday party, a wedding reception, a holiday where all of their
family was together, a sporting event that they participated in or
viewed, even waiting in line at a store for a new video game, book,
or toy to come out and being surrounded by other people there for
the same thing. I will ask the students to draw a picture representing
that event, and choose words to write within the image that describe
your feelings about that event.
In the last 5-10 minutes of class I will have students share their
drawings with the class. They with present their image and describe
their event and the words they chose and why they felt it was
special.

Extensions

Students who finish their drawings early can compose their chosen
words into an artists statement, describing what their event is,
why they chose it, and why it felt special to them.

Jacqueine Abend
Accommodations Modifications to the curriculum will be made ahead of time
and Modifications: according to a students specific disability. A student who is
multiply disabled and non-verbal will be shown photos of the events
given above in the examples. The student will choose an image by
pointing or nodding, and then be shown cards with different facial
expressions. The student will select which cards he or she feels goes
along with the image, for example, a smiling face goes along with a
birthday party.
Accommodations in this lesson include: video, which engages
visual learners. Collaborative work for students who perform better
in a group. Drawings for tactile learners.
NJCCCS

1.1.8 A 1
1.1.8 B 2