(Doing) art as an interdisciplinary didactic principle

It is common to introduce works of art into lessons in primary and secondary schools in order to mediate ideas and theories about subjective realities. Pictures, sculptures, installations are understood to represent insights and imagination, or illustrate shared realities. In this paper we interpret art works as translations of subjective intentions, even theories, in particular experiential settings. An art-work or artistic action that emphasizes its object character as a central theme is especially open to this kind of interpretation. It can serve to generate theories revealed through the senses. In principle, art could be used in schools whenever interdependencies and contexts are the learning focus. In order to show this approach is not dependent on the age range of pupils, this paper offers two practical examples. One took place in the eighth grade of a secondary school, one in the third grade of a primary school.