Project A: Learning Not to Copy Stereotypes

The project A: Learning Not to Copy Stereotypes arose from the observation of various educational books for children that encourage students to read and copy sentences in order to expand their vocabulary, improve their verbal comprehension, writing, and spelling. Unfortunately, even a superficial analysis of the sentences proposed by these books reveals that whenever a sentence refers directly to a gendered subject—through the use of proper names or nouns such as “man” and “woman”—the references are overwhelmingly masculine.

Moreover, it is worth noting that many of these sentences seem to reflect simplistic gender stereotypes that we should actively seek to dismantle. After collecting a series of examples from different educational workbooks that demonstrate this pattern, we designed a booklet titled A: Learning Not to Copy Stereotypes, based on the visual aesthetics of the traditional Rubio Workbooks.

This booklet first presents the collected sentences as a form of critique, making visible the disproportionate representation of male versus female subjects. Secondly, it invites the participation of viewers, asking them not to copy these sentences but instead to propose new ones that challenge and break these gender norms.

Our goal is to raise awareness that during the critical childhood learning stage—when copying is one of the primary methods of acquisition—children should not be repeatedly exposed to and made to reproduce phrases that reinforce outdated gender roles.

After the various contributions from spectators-users, and once the exhibition concludes, these new sentences will be assembled into a printed booklet, creating an object that not only documents the artistic initiative but also becomes a plural artwork in itself, proposing new exercises for educational contexts. Additionally, a digital version of the final booklet will be produced and distributed to all participants who request it by sending an email to elena.lopez5@um.es.

Thus, this initiative is not intended to be confined to the exhibition period alone but is meant to be disseminated across digital networks, becoming increasingly dynamic and effective the more readings and contributions it receives both during and after its physical exhibition.

                     Installation selected for the VIII Call for Mulier Mulieris Visual Arts 2014 (Alicante).
                     

                     Artwork selected for the exhibition Utopian De-education: Strategies to Subvert the Canon (2018) at Centro Párraga (Murcia), alongside works by Marina Núñez and Jesús Martínez Oliva, curated by Daniel Soriano.