From Question to Creation: An Experiential Learning Model

From Question to Creation is conceived as an experiential learning model that guides students through the full cycle of artistic and exhibition-making practice, from the initial research question to the development of a public-facing outcome. Responding to contemporary educational needs, it integrates problem-based learning with hands-on tasks, enabling students to acquire skills directly relevant to professional contexts and suitable for inclusion in their CVs. Developed within the framework of the EU-CONEXUS project Past to Plate: Living Heritage for Sustainable Future, the Student Research Hub extends this research context by opening it to structured student participation.

The SRH begins with a series of online lectures delivered by experts from various fields, including geography, architecture, art history, archaeology, culinary arts, and related disciplines. These sessions introduce key principles of experiential and problem-based learning, exhibition concept development, and the ways in which landscapes and cultural environments inform artistic practice and are, in turn, shaped by human activity.

In the next phase, students work independently and collaboratively on exhibition texts, visual identity elements, and other materials for the forthcoming exhibition Dialogues with Historic Landscapes, to be held in Croatia on May 18, 2026. The SRH concludes with the on-site installation and opening of the exhibition, involving direct engagement with exhibition production, public communication, and presentation.

The model highlights the value of education that produces concrete outcomes, positioning students not only as learners but as active contributors to contemporary cultural production.

General learning outcomes

• Recognise and apply basic principles of experiential and problem-based learning in art and exhibition work;
• Develop an exhibition concept starting from a defined question or problem;
• Produce visual and written materials required for a public exhibition;
• Work independently and collaboratively on project tasks within set deadlines;
• Document their project contributions for inclusion in a professional portfolio.