Artistic investigations into publicness
This full-time, international MFA in Fine Arts is shaped by students’ and teachers’ investigations into questions of publicness and the role of the artist in society.
Students propose areas of concern, problems, phenomena or key challenges in society to inform questions that interrogate relations between concepts of publicness and the role of the artist. In a society in flux, where elitism deserves continued scrutiny, this programme aims to engage diverse knowledge and poly-cultural perspectives when challenging hegemonies and disrupting dominant and exclusionary structures. The programme aims to support diverse understandings of what constitutes an artistic practice and how it may operate in the complexities of the public sphere.
Study period: August 2021–June 2023
Institution and facilities
Situated in Gothenburg city centre, the HDK-Valand – Academy of Art and Design provides a stimulating environment encompassing education and research across multiple arts and design subjects for highly motivated students and staff. The academy has multiple local, regional, national and international partnerships; and a vibrant programme of lectures, conferences, symposia and guest teachers.
MFA Fine Art students share generously-sized workspaces and access to project rooms, equipment, state of the art production facilities, and technical support. With class sizes, of around 15 students in each year group, this programme offers a high student-to-teacher ratio.
Study
As co-learners, students are taught to produce and share art that critically engages with what they understand to be at stake in contemporary society. Students are tutored to discover and deploy positions and differing forms of knowledge. They are introduced to and taught to develop and apply practice-oriented research skills and methods to inform and contextualise their artistic investigations. Decisions over media and materials and the role that experiments play are understood to be crucial to the development of these enquiries.
The programme encourages and teaches students to develop strategies to communicate individual and collective concerns about the public sphere and in the public sphere, at all times sensitive to complex questioning of why, what, where, how, when, and for whom. A situated and contextualised approach to how artistic investigations can critically operate within the public sphere is also informed via introduction to exploratory and diverse exhibitionary concepts and forms that question existing conventions of artistic, curatorial and exhibition practices. A core teaching principle is to build students’ critical confidence in questioning limiting conceptions of the artist. Throughout their studies, students can expect to be seen, listened to, and taken seriously as they learn to unfold their investigations.
Core Teaching Team
Ann-Charlotte Glasberg Blomqvist, art historian; Jason E. Bowman, artist and curator; Dr. Viviana Checchia, curator; Dr. Cathryn Klasto, trans-disciplinary scholar; Dr. Daniel Jewesbury, artist, curator and writer; and Maddie Leach, artist and writer.
This is one of the most qualified, experienced and research active teaching teams at MFA level in Northern Europe. As practitioners and researchers dedicated to art education the team introduces perspectives, positions and forms of knowledge from a multiplicity of artistic, ethical, disciplinary and geographical perspectives.
Fees and application
The programme is fee-free to EU/EAA nationals. Apply via University Admissions.
Admission
Admission is based on existing qualifications/experience, English language qualifications and a submission of work samples and two written statements: one that contextualises the work samples, and the second being a statement of intent. A number of applicants are invited to interview. Read more: Masters of Fine Art in Fine Arts.
Digital open house
On November 20, 2020, Programme Director Jason E. Bowman and recent graduate Gloria López Cleries will present on and answer questions about the programme. There will also be information about the other MFA programmes at HDK-Valand throughout the day. Further information: digital open house 2020.
