Recommended Reading

Rather than positioning art at the margins of schooling, Acaso and Megías argue for a radical shift: placing aesthetic experience, creativity, and emotional engagement at the heart of learning. The book introduces the concept of Art Thinking as a pedagogical approach that blurs the boundaries between artistic creation and educational practice, encouraging learners and teachers to become co-creators of knowledge.

Through a mix of theory, case studies, and visual material , the authors explore how education can be reimagined as a space for experimentation, social transformation, and personal discovery. Their work is deeply influenced by thinkers such as Paulo Freire, bell hooks, and Jacques Rancière, as well as contemporary art practices that challenge hierarchical power structures.

One of the book’s most powerful contributions lies in its materiality: its visual design is not merely decorative but integral to its pedagogical argument. Through intervened images, nonlinear diagrams, and handwritten notes, Art Thinking disrupts the visual and discursive conventions of academic publishing. Each page challenges not only what we, as society, say about education, but also how we say it—dissolving the rigid formats through which pedagogical thought is usually transmitted.

About the Authors

María Acaso and Clara Megías are both leading voices in the field of educational innovation in Spain. Acaso, professor at Universidad Complutense de Madrid, is known for her work on “rEDUvolution”—a term she uses to describe revolutionary changes in education grounded in art and critical pedagogy. Megías, an art educator and visual artist, co-founded Pedagogías Invisibles (website only in Spanish), a collaborative platform  committed to transforming education through the lens of contemporary art. Their work emphasizes process over product, dialogue over discipline, and emotion over standardization.