Triad in Action Art: Communication – Photography – Activation
Abstract
This paper presents the results of participatory research that examined the potential of action art and photography as tools for activating seniors. The research took the form of action workshops, in which 35 seniors participated throughout the year. The workshops, which lasted two to three days, were designed as creative outdoor meetings that combined artistic expression with data collection. The chosen methodology was based on the assumption that creative activity in a natural environment promotes social interaction, self-expression, and a sense of meaning. Colour in this process plays a decisive role in strengthening the emotional connection, communication and interpretation of the work. Artistically engaging seniors in the creation of photographs in the action space becomes an option that offers a new way of communication and self-reflection, while not forgetting the importance of their ability to create expressively. The main method of data collection was the analysis of photographic production, in which participants captured situations representing “action in space”. Subsequent semi-structured interviews made it possible to link the visual outputs with the subjective experiences of the authors. Thematic analysis combining visual and verbal data revealed five dominant categories: work, life, grandchildren, nature, and meaning. The results indicate that photography as a form of action art can be a significant activation tool in the senior population. The creative process proved to be a space for strengthening identity, reflecting on everyday life, and forming social bonds, confirming the effectiveness of the triad of seniors, photography, and activation.
Key words
Action Art. Activation. Communication. Photography. Research. Senior.
Kováčová, B., & Hajduk, Ľ. (2025). Triad in Action Art: Communication – Photography – Activation. European Journal of Media, Art & Photography, 13(2), 84-93. https://doi.org/10.34135/ejmap-25-02-04
Triad in Action Art: Communication – Photography – Activation © 2025 by Barbora Kováčová, Ľudovít Hajduk is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
