Curatorial Studies postgraduate programme

Application deadlines: (more information here)
April 28, 2023, 4pm / intake interview May 8, 2023
August 25, 2023, 4pm / intake interview September 4, 2023

Open days: March 8, 2023, 2pm / April 23, 2023, 10am

Curatorial Studies is an intensive one-year postgraduate programme covering key positions, legacies, ideas, and debates important to the curatorial. By drawing on the expertise of a broad network of cultural practitioners and institutions, the course aims to facilitate an environment in which a multiplicity of perspectives and critical discourses can thrive. Established in 1999, the programme is the result of a collaboration between KASK & Conservatorium/ School of Arts of HOGENT and Howest, Ghent University, and S.M.A.K. – the contemporary art museum in Ghent.  

Throughout the programme, participants are encouraged to look at the world openly, to turn their attention to what is desirable, rather than return to predetermined formats and fixed habits of mind. Students adopt values which place meaningful participation and engagement over knowledge production. The programme treats the curatorial as a process that decouples the grip of the status quo from the conditions of artistic production: through fair practice, by thinking along with artists, and by extending their curatorial work to the pertinent questions and struggles of our times. Considering this, the programme advocates an update on curating’s etymological definition — a commonplace by now — of caring for the object in favour of curating as an act of taking care of the world(s) in which artists must work and live their lives. 

Thanks to the extensive knowledge and contacts acquired during the programme, students (re)enter the professional field in a position of strength. The programme’s alumni/ae find employment in the arts sector upon graduation, including in museums, galleries, non-profit art spaces, governmental cultural agencies, biennials, artist studios, magazines and, not least, academia. Moreover, given the long history of the programme, Curatorial Studies graduates benefit from an extensive network of alumni/ae who remain active within the cultural field. 

All Curatorial Studies staff members are research-active and recognised in their areas of specialisation, as conservation specialists, mediators, curators, and scholars. This expertise allows for an immersive experience, where students are immediately put into contact with real-world situations and professional challenges. Thanks to the programme’s structural partnership with the University of Ghent and S.M.A.K., students enjoy access to world-class research and museum resources within walking distance of the Bijloke campus. 

Equipped with the extensive knowledge and contacts acquired during the programme, students (re)enter the professional field in a position of strength. Many of the programme’s alumnae/i find employment in the artistic sector upon graduation, in museums, galleries, non-profit art spaces, governmental cultural agencies, biennials, artist studios, magazines and, not least, academia. Moreover, given the long history of the programme, Curatorial Studies graduates benefit from a large network of alumni/ae who remain active within the cultural field. 

The programme is taught in English. 

How to apply
Applicants must have a bachelor degree or equivalent. For information about admission requirements and how to apply visit here or contact Paul Lamont (paul.lamont [ at ] hogent.be). For information about the programme please contact Laura Herman (laura.herman [​at​] hogent.be) or curatorial.studies [ at ] hogent.be. International candidates are strongly advised to participate in the first session on May 8, 2023. The interviews will take place via Zoom. 

Enrollment fee: 2950 euro. Other study-related expenses (books, study trips, etc.) should be expected. 
Start of the programme: September 25, 2023. 
Course length: One year full time. Classes are taught from Mondays to Wednesdays while Thursdays and Fridays are dedicated to personal research, visits, mentorship placements, and occasional masterclasses. 

*Image above: Curated by Anna Laganovska and Bas Verwaetermeulen as part of Bodies of Work organised by the Curatorial Studies class of 2021–22, August 5—August 25, 2022.