Beyond the school exhibition: process, space, and collective construction in art education

Abstract

This article analyzes the development of an art exhibition in a school context, considering its pedagogical, spatial, and relational dimensions. Based on the understanding of art as a field of knowledge rather than merely a productive activity, the study investigates how the organization of specific proposals for different student groups, combined with the configuration of the exhibition space, contributes to the construction of an integrated learning experience. The exhibition was structured through works produced by students of different age groups, organized into clusters that reflect distinct levels of development, from early psychomotor skills to more autonomous visual processes. Throughout the project, the need to adapt to practical constraints led to the reformulation of the initial plan, resulting in a spatial configuration based on illuminated vertical structures and the expanded use of the environment’s surfaces. The analysis demonstrates that the exhibition goes beyond the presentation of artworks, functioning as a practice that articulates production, space, and participation, and aligning with contemporary art strategies, particularly those related to collective and process-based approaches.