Page 104 - Hrobat Virloget, Katja, et al., eds. (2015). Stone narratives: heritage, mobility, performance. University of Primorska Press, Koper.
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stone narratives
plies multiple tasks of cutting, sketching, gluing and, finally, fitting the tiles by making a
new object of a different form. It represents a materialisation of new meanings from the
mental, social and aesthetic parts of everyday lives. Therefore, it is used also in art therapy
sessions. In the therapeutic sense, it enables the individual to find and structure new mean-
ings in the chaos of meaninglessness (Škrbina, 2013). Hinz (2009) explains that the medi-
um of mosaic engages multiple components of the expressive therapy continuum, e.g., the
kinaesthetic, perceptual, and cognitive components. The kinaesthetic component of mosa-
ic construction can serve either for energy stimulation or tension reduction. It can also help
the individual to find and express a soothing internal rhythm, to resonate with it or even
to discharge energy in a slow and rhythmic fashion (Hinz, 2009). When the kinaesthetic
component is combined with the materials that have an inherent structure such as mosa-
ic tiles and stones and provide resistance, energy release is enhanced. Due to its perceptu-
al component, the mosaic technique can provide the experience of changing one’s perspec-
tive, seeing the whole picture and its part in a different manner. The cognitive component
can be activated during the familiarisation with the mosaic technique and during all phas-
es of the design and construction of mosaics (e.g., planning, gluing, placing tiles) (Hinz,
2009). Interestingly, the »Mosaic Projective Technique« (Miller, 2005), which is widely
used in psychology, is an empirical technique used for detecting potential psychopathol-
ogies and evaluating outcomes of psychotherapy from the results of a simple mosaic con-
struction. Although this technique is a valid, internationally recognised test, it does not
have a clear theoretical background.
In this chapter a number of new functions of the mosaic are presented, which indi-
cates an expansion of the functionalities of mosaics. These are presented in form of liter-
ature review as well as cases from our past workshops and mosaic construction projects.
New functions of mosaics
In the following subsections different new functions of mosaics, which we use in our work,
are presented: mosaic as a team building tool, mosaic construction as a children’s game, mo-
saic as a tool for the activation of citizens and institutions in the creation of the environ-
ment, and finally, the role of mosaics in personal development, meditation and stress man-
agement.
Mosaic as a team building tool
There are many definitions of team building. For example, team building can be defined as
the »ability to identify and motivate individual employees to form a team that stays together,
works together, and achieves together (BusinessDictionary, n.d.).« Bateman (1990) defines
team building as »an effort in which a team studies its own process of working together and
acts to create a climate that encourages and values the contributions of team members. » One
of the key elements of team building is improving group cohesiveness (Moreland, Levine &
Wingert, 1996). Carron and Brawley (2012) define it as
a dynamic process that is reflected in the tendency for a group to stick together and remain united
in the pursuit of its instrumental objectives and/or for the satisfaction of member affective needs.
The effectiveness of integration of art in team building has already been demonstrat-
ed by several studies. For example, Sheingold, Warson, Lunsford & Pintz (2014) showed
102
plies multiple tasks of cutting, sketching, gluing and, finally, fitting the tiles by making a
new object of a different form. It represents a materialisation of new meanings from the
mental, social and aesthetic parts of everyday lives. Therefore, it is used also in art therapy
sessions. In the therapeutic sense, it enables the individual to find and structure new mean-
ings in the chaos of meaninglessness (Škrbina, 2013). Hinz (2009) explains that the medi-
um of mosaic engages multiple components of the expressive therapy continuum, e.g., the
kinaesthetic, perceptual, and cognitive components. The kinaesthetic component of mosa-
ic construction can serve either for energy stimulation or tension reduction. It can also help
the individual to find and express a soothing internal rhythm, to resonate with it or even
to discharge energy in a slow and rhythmic fashion (Hinz, 2009). When the kinaesthetic
component is combined with the materials that have an inherent structure such as mosa-
ic tiles and stones and provide resistance, energy release is enhanced. Due to its perceptu-
al component, the mosaic technique can provide the experience of changing one’s perspec-
tive, seeing the whole picture and its part in a different manner. The cognitive component
can be activated during the familiarisation with the mosaic technique and during all phas-
es of the design and construction of mosaics (e.g., planning, gluing, placing tiles) (Hinz,
2009). Interestingly, the »Mosaic Projective Technique« (Miller, 2005), which is widely
used in psychology, is an empirical technique used for detecting potential psychopathol-
ogies and evaluating outcomes of psychotherapy from the results of a simple mosaic con-
struction. Although this technique is a valid, internationally recognised test, it does not
have a clear theoretical background.
In this chapter a number of new functions of the mosaic are presented, which indi-
cates an expansion of the functionalities of mosaics. These are presented in form of liter-
ature review as well as cases from our past workshops and mosaic construction projects.
New functions of mosaics
In the following subsections different new functions of mosaics, which we use in our work,
are presented: mosaic as a team building tool, mosaic construction as a children’s game, mo-
saic as a tool for the activation of citizens and institutions in the creation of the environ-
ment, and finally, the role of mosaics in personal development, meditation and stress man-
agement.
Mosaic as a team building tool
There are many definitions of team building. For example, team building can be defined as
the »ability to identify and motivate individual employees to form a team that stays together,
works together, and achieves together (BusinessDictionary, n.d.).« Bateman (1990) defines
team building as »an effort in which a team studies its own process of working together and
acts to create a climate that encourages and values the contributions of team members. » One
of the key elements of team building is improving group cohesiveness (Moreland, Levine &
Wingert, 1996). Carron and Brawley (2012) define it as
a dynamic process that is reflected in the tendency for a group to stick together and remain united
in the pursuit of its instrumental objectives and/or for the satisfaction of member affective needs.
The effectiveness of integration of art in team building has already been demonstrat-
ed by several studies. For example, Sheingold, Warson, Lunsford & Pintz (2014) showed
102
