Back to the Sandbox ― Art and Radical Pedagogy

An international group of artists and scholars reflects on the nature and significance of education in contemporary society, introducing new perspectives on learning and creativity

Back to the Sandbox addresses critical issues of the education system from an intriguing new perspective: essays by leading thinkers juxtaposed with art projects, intended for kindergarten through adult. The core issues include democracy in education, creativity, transdisciplinarity, neuroplasticity, thinking versus memorizing, science versus art and humanities. Both artists and scholars explore specific topics while guided by one framing question central to educators’ and students’ concerns today: What education do we need? The volume includes several lead essays and eighteen shorter texts from international scholars. 

Based on an exhibition with the same name, Back to the Sandbox records an ongoing multifaceted project that comprises exhibitions, conferences, workshops, surveys, and online roundtables, connecting local communities with international networks. This groundbreaking publication will serve as both reference and inspiration to educators, students, artists, parents, policy makers, and everyone interested in education and art. 

Contributors: Peter Alheit, Georg-August-U, Gottingen, Germany; Eva Bakkeslett; Nicolas Buchoud; Nancy Budwig, Clark U; Cathy Burke, U of Cambridge; Luis Camnitzer; Teddy Cruz; Jim Duignan; Tony Eaude, U of Oxford; Bente Elkjaer, Aarhus U, Denmark; Francisca Fernandes; Fonna Forman; Liane Gabora, U of British Columbia; Henry Giroux, McMaster U, Ontario; Ken Goldberg, UC Berkeley; Michael Joaquin Grey; Ane Hjort Guttu; Jessica Hamlin, New York U; Yaacov Hecht; Knud Illeris, Danish School of Education, Copenhagen; Mannish Jain; Ronald Jones; Markus Kayser; Floris Koot; Eva Kotátková; Graziela Kunsch; Pamela Kuntz; Tyson E. Lewis, U of North Texas; Sugata Mitra, Newcastle U, London; James Mollison; Basarab Nicolescu, U Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris; Petr Nikl; Petr Payne; Renzo Piano; Howard Rheingold; Luboš Rychvalský; Andreas Schleicher; Calvin Seibert; Bára Štepánová; Mark Tennant; Bruce E. Wexler, Yale U; Judy Willis; Conrad Wolfram; Hafthor Yngvason; Philip Zimbardo, Stanford U.

Jaroslav Andel is curator of the exhibition Back to the Sandbox, former artistic director of the DOX Center for Contemporary Art in Prague, and former director of the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of the National Gallery in Prague. He has written more than forty books and exhibition catalogues on modern and contemporary art.