A Viagem Como Forma De Apreensão Da Realidade: Uma Experiência Na Contemporaneidade

This article explores travel as a pedagogical and aesthetic method in the field of architecture and urbanism, proposing an approach grounded in Baumgarten's aesthetic science and the experience of the Valparaíso School in Chile. By distinguishing between sensitive and intellective knowledge, Baumgarten laid the foundation for aesthetics as a science, enabling the application of its principles to diverse fields, including architecture. Through the methodological tripod – planning, action, and recording – travel is presented as a practice of sensory enjoyment, critical reflection, and the construction of an aesthetic repertoire. The analysis considers the exploration journeys of the 19th century, which combined sensory perception and scientific records, drawing a parallel with the Crossings of the Valparaíso School. Since 1965, these Crossings have merged poetry, architectural research, and the construction of ephemeral works, constituting an unorthodox form of teaching that transcends traditional academic travel. During the action phase, Poetic Acts and collective interventions are performed in public spaces, celebrating American identity and fostering cultural exchange with local communities. The recording of experiences, through drawings, diaries, and architectural works, consolidates learning and broadens participants' repertoires. The practices of the Valparaíso School illustrate how travel can serve as a contemporary tool for understanding geographic and architectural space, offering an alternative to the homogeneous and standardized thinking of modernity. By questioning traditional modes of apprehending reality, the Crossings reaffirm the relevance of aesthetic science as a mediator between the sensory and the rational, advancing an innovative and transformative pedagogical practice.