MA Contemporary Arts Practice

The MA Contemporary Arts Practice (MA CAP) at Bern University of the Arts is a multidisciplinary program for artists working in the fields of Fine Arts, Sound Arts, Performance Art, and Literary Writing/Translation. The program is highly esteemed for this expertise and its commitment to explore the intersections between the various artistic fields and disciplines. We aim to foster independent artistic positions in a context of collective and interdisciplinary relationships. 

Students can create highly individualized study profiles and choose from a wide range of elective courses throughout the program. While the development of the individual or collaborative artistic practice is central in mentoring sessions, students are also strongly connected with one another through discourse and exchange across the different artistic fields—in group seminars, reading classes, theory inputs, work presentations, and study trips. 

All students have access to generous studio spaces and high-end facilities such as: media lab; sound studio; fully equipped workshops for audio-visual works; a multimedia library; and facilities for works in wood, metal, synthetics, ceramics, and textiles.

Our internationally-connected faculty and visiting artists come from diverse backgrounds. They are artists, writers, performers, curators, musicians, composers, theoreticians, and critics. Together with our alumni, they create an important professional network. 

Our students work in a broad spectrum of art practices focusing on one or combining several study fields in the CAP:

In Fine Arts students work in still and moving images, sculpture, installation, performative approaches, and conceptual and documentary strategies. Contemporary art discourses and developments as well as the historical foundations of art provide the framework for students’ individual or collaborative works.

In Sound Arts the main focus is on experimental and electronic music. Students develop compositions, sound installations or other sound-based art forms. We teach compositional strategies and approach sound from a contemporary as well as historical and theoretical point of view. 

In Literary Writing/Translation students will come into contact with teachers and students from diverse backgrounds. They work on their own texts in all genres under the supervision of mentors. Literary translation is also regarded as artistic production, which is something unique about the MA CAP. 

In Performance Art students address issues relating to body, space, and time. In the sense of physical presence, real or conceptual action, performance occurs in various artistic fields. Considering the transdisciplinary history of performance, we understand it as a varied and open field of general performativity, which opens up new forms of representation, viewing, listening, and participating.

Requirements
Prospective students need a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts, Music, Literary Writing or an equivalent diploma. In case of extraordinary artistic talent, candidates from other educational or professional backgrounds can also be accepted. 

Languages
The courses are taught in German, English, and French. One-on-one mentoring sessions are possible in German, French, and English.

Application schedule
Application & portfolio submission: March 15, 2021 
Online application here.
Admissions interviews: April 15–29, 2021
Responses: May 5, 2021
Start of studies: September 20, 2021

Mode of study: Full-time (4 semesters), part-time (in exceptional cases only, 6 semesters)
Tuition fees (per semester): CHF 750 / CHF 950 (for overseas students)

For individual consultations contact us at: T +41 31 848 42 02 / cap [​at​] hkb.bfh.ch