How can we recontextualise traditional literature to appeal to a wider youth-based audience?


The Divine Comedy: New Light
New Light aims to recontextualise Dante’s The Divine Comedy to reluctant readers. Through typography and typographic treatment, I aim to re-tell parts of The Divine Comedy in an immersive exhibition space, utilising sensory devices, digital technologies, and experiential environments. This literature review intends to gather information about how to most effectively re-contextualise such narratives to encourage the audience to take maximum interest in the work as possible. Ultimately, this will develop students’ own creativity, derived from both the narrative depicted in The Divine Comedy and the unique way in which it has been re-told. Teenagers today typically struggle with classic literature that does not provide instant gratification. In addition to this, they also experience a divide between their own interests and the content of assigned literature. Clearly, the lack of youth engagement with classic literature is an issue that traditional teaching methods are not helping. Therefore, there is a need for re-contextualisation of not only the physical literature, but also the way in which it is received by the students. 




Logotype references old style characters through a digital lense.

Use of Sensory Visual Devices
 
The integration of multimodal typography in the re-contextualisation of classic literature may provide students with a superior sensory experience, aiming encouraging emotional and intellectual engagement. In our current educational climate, many students look for instant gratification. Realistically, literature such as Dante’s The Divine Comedy may perhaps be the antithesis of this – involving the laborious task of literacy dissection and analysis. The idea that visuals, semiotics and sensory stimulation could be introduced to such literature could provide students with enough gratification that they pursue reading – ultimately achieving the goal. 

Certo & Brinda describe the benefits of combining literature with artistic practice. This creates more opportunities for students to appreciate the unfolding of a narrative and allows them to exchange thought between their own experiences the text. In the past, theatre, artworks and films have been used as visual aids in partnership with the literature, assisting critical thinking and understanding. However, it is also important to recognize how literature gives students the opportunity to generate completely original visuals from their own imaginations; without visual stimulus.  

Semiotic typography can create aesthetic meaning within literature without illustrating a literal environment.


An interesting midpoint could be using semiotic typography to create aesthetic meaning within the literature without completely illustrating a visual environment (such as what a film or theatrical performance would do). According to T. Van Leeuwen, semiotic typography works to create aesthetic meaning in similar ways to theatre and film, by utilizing ‘colour, three-dimensionality, material texture and (…) movement.’ This is of course subsequent to the meaning of the letterforms themselves. 


 

Semiotic typography used to express ‘Avarice’ a layer of hell in Dante’s Inferno


Van Leeuween & Djonov and Pimental & Branco both explores ways to further push the semiotics and visual mode of typography by incorporating kinetics and sensory elements. T. Pimental and V. Branco further discuss the potential of transforming typography into living experiences through corresponding audio forms that are conceptually similar. For example, in their installation they used ‘tribal and mystical sound,’ when ‘embryonic writing,’ appeared. Alternatively, T.Van Leeuween and E. Djonov outline how adding movement to typography restores the ‘expressiveness of speech,’ that is derived from voice expression. Both aforementioned methods lend themselves to the idea of using semiotic typography as a visual stimulation to classic literature. Importantly, these methods allow students to interpret the literature with visual originality, whilst being supported by both the meaning of semiotic typography and the supporting sensory elements. 




Photograph from T. Pimentel and V. Branco’s typographic exhibition

Digital Technology Opportunities
Digital technologies present vast opportunities for non-traditional ways in which high-school students can engage with classic literature. Indeed, digital technologies have grown exponentially over the last twenty years, presenting innovations that can impact creative, commercial and educational opportunities (R. Hanks, J. Hasting, 2014, pg.6; J. Hunter, K. Silvestri, M. Ackerman, 2018, pg.36). Furthermore, social networking sites play an imperative part in adolescent communication. By considering non-traditional methods of literary teaching (J. Hunter, K. Silvestri & M. Ackerman, 2018 pg.43) highlight the benefits of using social networking sites as facilitators of literary engagement. Their study explored the use of Twitter to discuss Lois Lowry’s novel The Giver with classmates and tutors. They found the results significantly positive; the students spent more time in total on their tasks, developed a greater cognitive understanding on the text and reported increased enthusiasm and engagement towards the literature. This example highlights what happens when you ‘bring the conversation to them,’ (adolescents) (J. Hunter, K. Silvestri & M. Ackerman, 2018 pg.43). By learning on a digital platform that students commonly use in everyday life, the literature and discussion was successfully recontextualised with positive outcomes. 

The use of Twitter to discuss Lois Lowry’s novel The Giver produced significantly positive results. 


Perhaps these interactive discussions could be visualised in a typographic way – aiming to stimulate engagement and empower youth’s literary opinions. In addition, the use of digital technologies sees the semiotics of kinetic typography play an interesting role in the recontextualization of literature. (T.Van Leeuween & E. Djonov, 2015, pg.247) elaborate on how kinetic typography has now been made extremely accessible to the average learner; what was once a cinematic novelty is now something that exists within the majority of student’s digital screens. Although (R. Hanks, J. Hasting, 2014, pg.6) agree with previous authors, they also highlight the benefits of printed literature. They argue that online formats can misinform the chronology of a text, whereas a physical book has a clear beginning and end. By taking into account all authors opinions, the digital opportunities that present themselves when re-contextualising classic literature are rich. They are, also, especially relevant when targeting adolescents. On the contrary, physical publications cannot be dismissed, but perhaps considered at a smaller scale.




Introduction to Exhibiition Space 2: Canto 34.
Research shows simple aesthetic challenges can increase attention and engagement.


Use of Interactive Learning 
Interactive engagement in both physical and digital ways can have a positive effect on high-school students understanding of, and enthusiasm toward, classic literature. In the educational field (T. Shuang-Ching Lee, 2020, p.84) expresses that active learning should always be prioritised over passive learning. Both (J. Certo & W. Brinda, 2011, pg.25) and (T. Pimentel, V. Branco, 2005, pg.887) outline the benefits of re-contextualising literature through live performances and experiences. Indeed, this could range from watching a live theatre performance, to physically interacting with an educational space. In (T. Pimentel, V. Branco’s, 2005, pg.886) case study they placed ‘fluorescent letters … on the floor,’ to motivate the visitor to explore the typographic installation. (T. Shuang-Ching Lee, 2020, p.84) article generally agrees with T. Pimentel and V. Branco and elaborates on the ways in which children and adolescents interact with physical spaces. The author outlines that fictional play within an exhibition or spatial format can develop ‘relational reasoning and imaginative creativity.’ She stresses, however, the need for clarity when designing interactive experiences to ensure educational outcomes are met adequately. In extension, engagement can be enhanced further by assigning an interactive role to the participant, making them an ‘integral part of the performance.’ (T. Pimentel, V. Branco, 2005, pg.887) Perhaps an area that has little study surrounding it would be the combination of physical interaction with digital technologies. Drawing from (J. Hunter, K. Silvestri & M. Ackerman, 2018 pg.43). studies on the use of Twitter in the classroom, there may be potential for physical interaction with use of digital technologies. Ultimately, both types of interactive learning prove beneficial to student’s literary education and combining the two may see original outcomes in the form of literary re-contextualisation. 




Dante’s Nine rings of Inferno expressed  with semiotic typography.
Students are encouraged to walk though the banners,  experientially reflecting the text.


Conclusion

The literature underlines the opportunities that present themselves when researching ways to re-contextualise classic literature to adolescent students. The articles differ from each other significantly – which reflects the variety of opportunities available to complete this task. Indeed, the use of sensory elements, semiotic typography and accompanying visuals is a viable direction for engagement and increased understanding. It is also clear that digital technologies present new platforms for re-contextualising literature that may have enhanced engagement with the youth of today. Interactive experiences in both physical and online environments also proved to be beneficial frameworks for engaging students’ reception of classic literature. Ultimately, this paper acts as a survey of the potential ways in which I can recontextualise Dante’s The Divine Comedy to adolescent students in an effective manner. I believe that, properly recontextualised, The Divine Comedy can enhance creative thinking among students, and encourage original visual and conceptual thought. This is my overall motivation for the ISTD 2020. 








© Maximilian Bufardeci 2024
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