Art as experience by John Dewey and the Reggio Emilia Approach. Philosophical and pedagogical perspectives in comparison

Abstract

This paper sets out to demonstrate how the work Art as experience (1934) by the American philosopher and pedagogist John Dewey, who was an advocate for the pedagogical activism, was significant to shape Loris Malaguzzi’s thought (1920-1994) and the Reggio Emilia Approach. Reggio’s pedagogical approach is addressed to kindergartens and is characterized by a pedagogy open to all expressive languages, that sees in the artistic experience a new way of living school. According to its experiential and educational context, the Reggio Emilia Approach takes inspiration from Art as experience and reinterprets it configuring its different and important suggestions. Through philosophical-pedagogical investigations, the article reflects on the meaning of the aesthetic experience, of creativity, and of the artistic experience interconnected with relationships. Both Art as experience and Reggio Emilia Approach conceive art as a powerful heuristic tool for human experience and reality.

Keywords

• john dewey
• reggio emilia approach
• relationship
• creativity
• aesthetic experience