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The first of its kind in the region, the two-year Master of Fine Arts in Art and Media (MFA) at NYU Abu Dhabi immerses students in contemporary research and art practices while training them to become deep thinkers and artistic innovators. Courses emphasize artistic experimentation within a context of theoretical, cultural, and historical study. Its multidisciplinary coursework bridges disciplinary skills and diverse bodies of knowledge. The program leverages Abu Dhabi’s location as a global hub for the exchange and dialogue in the arts and culture as the MFA in Art and Media emanates outward from the Emirates to the world.
Students can choose to work in-depth in a particular area or across multiple arts disciplines, including: Painting and Drawing, Photography, Sculpture and Installation, Printmaking, Fiber Art, Video, Performance and Digital Arts. NYU Abu Dhabi offers state-of-the-art production facilities, and students enrolled in the program gain access to the rich ecosystem of art studios, workshops, and labs on campus and have individual studios that serve as core teaching and research spaces. The program fosters competency in artistic research, material knowledge, creative production, analysis, decision-making, teamwork as well as specialist art practice skills. It ensures core competencies through three main pillars: artistic inquiry, production, and experimentation; art discourse and research; and professional development and leadership. Taught by faculty from across the Division of Arts and Humanities, students study with professors from across NYUAD global network who come from fields of art, art history, film, theatre and literature. Students learn to visualize questions, articulate research and ideas in expansive ways, connect seemingly unconnected phenomena and concepts, and provide valuable insights to the global contemporary and historic condition.
Throughout the program, students will have access to local stakeholders and institutions, including in Abu Dhabi and the UAE, including Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation, 421, Abu Dhabi Art, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, Louvre Abu Dhabi, The Barjeel Art Foundation, Sharjah Art Foundation, Maraya Art Center, Art Jameel and AlSerkal Avenue. Students also have the opportunity to receive studio visits from a wide roster of prominent curators and artists that have included: Mays Albaik, Reza Afisina, Sarah al Groobi, Navjot Altaf, Jürgen Bock, Carolina Caycedo, Reem Fadda, Steven Feld, Jolaine Frizzell, Archana Hande, Hassan Khan, Candice Hopkins, Nadine Khalil, Christina De Marchi, Nada Raza, Nora Razian, Munira Sayegh, David Shongo, Dima Srouji, Suhelya Takesh, Daniel Otero Torres, Murtaza Vali and Alaa Younis. Students also work with with faculty drawn from across the division of Arts and Humanities at NYUAD.
Through cooperation with al Mawrid Arab Center for the Study of Art students receive studio visits from their artist residency program that have included Lawrence Abu Hamdan, Lara Baladi, and Henaa Malallah.
In this program students:
–Engage with new conceptual approaches based on debates at the forefront of contemporary art practices
–Work with an interdisciplinary ethos across different fields
–Experiment with mediums, methods, and techniques in innovative ways at extensive facilities of NYUAD
–Develop professional skills to pursue careers in the arts
–Undertake and realize creative research and historize their practice
Applications
Applications for fall 2023 are now open, with a deadline of April 15, 2023. We are hosting a virtual information session on April 4, 2023 for more information. Register here.
NYU Abu Dhabi automatically considers every master’s applicant for merit and needs-based financial support packages. Students on average receive scholarships of 30–80 percent of the tuition costs, with exceptional students eligible for up to 100 percent tuition scholarships. Our goal is to form a high-achieving class of master’s students for each program, and admissions decisions are made without knowledge of individuals’ financial need. Please visit our page, or contact nyuad.graduateadmissions [at] nyu.edu for more information.
NYU Abu Dhabi MFA virtual info session
Learn more about the MFA in Art and Media at NYU Abu Dhabi. Visit here.
