MFA in Art & Public Space

The National Academy of the Arts in Oslo and the MFA program Art and Public space is currently welcoming MFA applications for fall 2022 admission.

The Master’s program Art and Public Space is one of the world’s leading programs in the field, offering two years of intensive full-time education for artists, focusing primarily on the overlaps between contemporary art, theory, and public space. The program is ideal for  emerging and/or socially engaged artists with interdisciplinary practices who are interested in engaging with the diverse sites that constitute public space in transformative ways.

The program is situated at the intersection between artistic practice and art theory and is ideal for both  ambitious emerging and established artists seeking to further develop their education.  We define public space broadly, expanding into social, political, environmental and economic contexts, as well as other relevant themes within today’s public sphere.

Through the development of a Master’s project, students learn the necessary skills to both build the networks essential for pushing the boundaries of artistic engagement with public space, and for sustaining their artistic practice after graduation or for pursuing doctoral research. The study program provides practical and theoretical insights into public art as a diverse and complex area and is intended to contribute to innovative approaches to artistic research and development within the area of art and the public sphere.

We encourage experimental and interdisciplinary approaches to a broad range of art specializations. Our students have access to advanced facilities including new media, photography, film, printmaking, ceramics, metal, and textiles, and our program has a history of  supporting artists who engage with practices of care, entanglements, ecology, collectivity, memory, and art and science.

As a platform and meeting place for specialist practices, our school invites interdisciplinary collaborations and promotes the exchange of knowledge between material-based art and strategies of art and public space.

Our students produce exhibitions and projects, both at the multiple exhibition spaces on campus as well as in professional venues in and around Oslo. We offer regular guest lectures and tutorials by highly regarded international and national visiting artists, curators, scholars, art critics, and other educational collaborators. Students are also offered international and/or national study trips to seminars, geographical sites, and exhibitions that are relevant to the themes of the study program. 

Oslo National Academy of the Arts is Norway’s largest college of higher education in the field of visual and performing art with over 550 students and currently offers 24 study programs in six departments: Art and Craft, Design, The Academy of Fine Art, The Academy of Dance, The Academy of Opera, and The Academy of Theatre. 

Norwegian cultural policies and commitment to the arts creates unrivaled opportunities for emerging artists. Additionally, the city of Oslo’s strong public commitment to the arts creates an opportunity for young artists to immerse themselves in the city’s international art scene—including public institutions, commercial galleries, and artist-run spaces—both during and after the program.  

Duration: Two years, full-time studies (120 credits) / Free tuition for international students. For more information visit here.