Perspectives on German Art Pedagogy

This chapter discusses the central questions that preoccupy contemporary art education in Germany. An account of the era before World War I highlights the influences of past practices, concepts, and considerations that have shaped (pertinent) discussion(s) in art education in Germany. By outlining the different movements and approaches of prominent scholars and practitioners, the chapter investigates how German art education in the twenty-first century can be understood as a hybrid of visual communication, experimentation, self-discovery, education through art, and education toward art. Emphasizing the trend toward the inclusion of media education as well as the methods of cultural hacking, this chapter opens outward to encompass themes and issues that address students” realities, and concludes with a discussion about educational standards, the restrictive nature of the school environment, and the question of whether art should be taught independently or together with other disciplines.