" This presentation examines the convergence of Zen koan practice and contemporary collage art, exploring how visual paradoxes can serve as contemplative and pedagogical tools. Drawing parallels between traditional verbal koans that frustrate logical thought to provoke insight, the session demonstrates how specific collage techniques—impossible juxtapositions, scale disruptions, spatial contradictions, and contextual inversions—create ""visual koans"" that bypass habitual perception patterns.
The presentation shares practical applications of these paradoxical images in educational settings, illustrating how they develop visual literacy skills that transcend analytical approaches. Through documentation of classroom exercises and student responses, the session explores how visual koans cultivate comfort with ambiguity and multiple interpretations, extending critical thinking beyond art appreciation.
Participants will engage with examples of deliberately contradictory collage works and discuss adaptation strategies for various educational contexts. The session bridges traditional Zen awakening practices with contemporary visual culture, offering theoretical frameworks and practical techniques for creating images that function as catalysts for transformative learning experiences.
