Monica Klungland

Monica Klungland is an Associate Professor in the Department of Visual and Performing Arts at the University of Agder (UiA), Faculty of Art. She teaches in the kindergarten teacher education program, focusing on arts and crafts, design, and the course Art, Culture and Creativity. Her academic work is deeply rooted in material-based and performative approaches to art education.

• Education: Master’s degree in Art from UiA (2016); PhD in Art in Context (2021) with a thesis on Material-collective practice.
• Professional Background: 11 years as a primary school teacher in arts and crafts and Norwegian before joining UiA.

Her research explores the intersections of play, creativity, and contemporary art, with a particular focus on textile materials and craft techniques. She investigates how material engagement fosters aesthetic and spatial awareness in children and students, emphasizing the performative and embodied dimensions of artistic learning. Her work contributes to expanding the didactic potential of art and crafts education, especially in early childhood contexts.

The recent publications highlight a strong trend in interdisciplinary, material-centered, and performative methodologies. Themes such as materiality, posthuman conditions, collective practice, and sensory play recur across her work, often developed through collaborative projects and artistic inquiry. Her research bridges theory and practice, using weaving and textile arts as both medium and methodology.

Scientific Contributions:

• Extensive publications in journals such as BUKS, FormAkademisk, Nordic Journal of Art & Research, and edited volumes.
• Active participation in research groups: Art and children & youth and SPADE: Training processes and performance development in sports.

She has not publicly listed any scientific awards or grants. Monica Klungland collaborates widely with researchers like Anne-Mette Liene, Lisbet Skregelid, and Samira Jamouchi, often co-authoring on topics related to material pedagogy and performative art. She has not mentioned any students she has advised. Her work is centered around the Material-collective practice framework, developed through the Weaving in Open Doors project, which serves as a lab-like creative and research space integrating students, children, and artistic experimentation.