Four Lessons From Bjork's 'Biophilia' Class at MOCA
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Photo courtesy of Biophiliaeducational.org Program director Curver Thoroddsen with kids during a Biophilia educational workshop in Oslo
*Björk Brings Her Crazy Nature Project to L.A.
On Big Family Sunday at the Museum of Contemporary Art, kids and family members got to take part in a number of art-related activities, most of which took place under canopies outside the museum. But inside something a very different program took place -- a short lesson as part of a curriculum housed within a collection of apps.
The Biophilia Education Program stems from the musician Bjork's instructive apps that accompany her "app album" Biophilia, which includes music, apps, installations and live shows. Program director Curver Thoroddsen says the program "takes the book out of teaching."
Bjork didn't show up herself, but over the course of the day, Thoroddsen and a few instructors led workshops based on her apps for the first time in Los Angeles. Kids and their families sat at tables listening to lessons that blended science with music in a very Bjork-like manner (think lots of bright colors, kooky songs and trippy visuals). This week, the team will head to Edison Middle School to teach the full program over the course of a few days.
The workshop at MOCA was only a small part of the overall program which uses apps on the iPad along with traditional (but more fun) lessons. For the workshop, slideshows were also used, along with demonstrations that called for volunteers. Edison Middle School teachers will work with the Biophilia team to create their lessons.
I sat in on a workshop amidst the excited moms and loud kids, and listened for what Bjork could teach me. Here are four lessons:
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