Teachers College has long been regarded as a living laboratory for the theories of the Columbia philosophy professor and educational reformer John Dewey. Now, as part of its 125th anniversary celebration, the college has mounted an exhibition, "Doing and Undergoing," which honors Dewey by embodying his concept of learning through experience.
The exhibition consists of 22 site-specific, multimedia works by 25 artists installed throughout the institution’s labyrinthine campus. The art ranges from photographs of Christo and Jeanne-Claude projects, such as Wrapped Reichstag and Running Fence, to works by lesser-known artists—a synthetic scents installation by Risa Puno. Taken together the works jolt visitors into paying closer attention to their surroundings.
"We wanted to do an exhibit that would not only familiarize people with parts of the campus they haven’t seen, but also give them a fresh perspective on the parts they thought they knew,” said Richard Jochum, associate professor of Art and Art Education at Teachers College, who conceived the show. “We call it Doing and Undergoing, which is a phrase from Dewey, because ultimately it’s not enough to simply have an experience—you really have to undergo something for it to be transformational.”
The exhibition, which closes December 15, can be experienced in a guided or self-guided tour. For more information, visit www.doingandundergoing.net.
