IMAGE APPROPRIATION IN ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM EDUCATION:

AN EXPERIENCE WITH VISUAL COMPOSITIONS IN A THEORETICAL COURSE

Abstract

This experience report contributes to the debate on the incorporation of creative processes originating from the field of Art into teaching and learning processes within Architecture and Urbanism programs. The aim of this paper is to report and discuss a pedagogical practice developed in the course History and Theory of Art, Architecture and City I, offered in the Architecture and Urbanism program at the Regional University of Blumenau (FURB), during the second semester of 2025, in a class composed of 22 students. The practice addressed the study of the civilizations of Mesoamerica (Maya and Aztec) and South America (Inca), with its central stage consisting of the creation of visual compositions based on image appropriation. Methodologically, audiovisual resources, bibliographic references, and artistic references were employed, with particular emphasis on the work of Luiz Paulo Baravelli, in addition to the provision of image boards and image clippings for creative experimentation. The analysis of the 14 compositions produced revealed the appropriation of architectural, urban, artistic, cultural, religious, scientific, and territorial knowledge, as well as the development of creativity, interpretative skills, and interdisciplinary articulation. The results indicate that image appropriation may constitute a promising pedagogical strategy for promoting more meaningful learning experiences in Architecture and Urbanism education.