Hundertwasser, born in 1928, is one of the greatest artists of the 20th century. In his work, you can see solutions to major social problems. He calls himself a painter, architect and environmentalist. For instance, he held tree-tenant campaigns where he planted trees in the city. Concrete and asphalt prevent water seepage. Tree tenants, the trees as users of a piece of city, contribute to balancing the situation. They clean water and air, which is their 'rent', according to him. These days, people are making massive efforts to green cities with trees and vertical plant walls. Hundertwasser has been a forerunner in this!

Roadmap:

Hundertwasser saw that, as an artist, he could do more to solve major social problems than any other profession. That is why he continued to develop as an artist.

1. Explore how do you think an artist's mindset can help address big issues? Can you find examples of artists using art to address a social issue. Make a collage of these.

• Useful book (Dutch): Verdwaalatlas, developed by artists at Arcardia.
• Useful book (English): The artist's ways.

2. Make a droedel following your collage. A droedel is a thoughtless drawing. It can also be a riddle and word game where only letters are used and where the position between them is often important. This kind of droedel can also be used as abbreviations in texting or internet slang, such as "ff w88" for effe (wait a while). Let yourself go with paint and brush. Make several in a row in different techniques. For example, with ecoline, ink, acrylic paint and/or oil paint.

Tip: You can search the internet for examples of Andre Masson's automatic drawing (handwriting) and painting for inspiration.

3. Choose a 'catchy' piece from your droedel that appeals to you because of its composition and meaning. Enlarge that to a size that is extreme for you and enhance this piece. Work this out into a work of art. Do let your imagination run wild while painting. Materials: Preferably oil paint; possibly acrylic paint or other materials you can experiment with. The work of art gives an inside view into your inner world.

Target:

To explore how to make meaning of big social issues through art.

Learning outcomes:

• You know the opportunities for active citizenship
• You can carry out creative activities to meet needs

SDG

SDG 13: Climate action

Necessities

Scissors, glue, magazines, journals, printer, internet, A3 paper for collage, A2 paper/painting canvas, paint, brushes.

Evaluation:

Show your artwork to three others. Ask them to tell you what they see in the artwork. Did what touched you personally in your artwork and what you want to show with your artwork come across the same way to the others? What of it did? What of it was different? What is it like for you to hear others tell you about your artwork?