NABA, Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti is proud to announce the launch of its Doctoral School. Unique within Italy and southern Europe, the NABA Doctoral School provides participants with the opportunity to pursue their individual research projects in a collective learning environment with a decidedly transdisciplinary and international bent. The NABA Doctoral School is coordinated by Vincenzo Estremo and it is ready to start its first year of activity. It consists of two distinct programs and two academic collaborations. Part of the Doctoral School is the PhD in Artistic Practice, which NABA offers in collaboration with HDK-Valand Academy of Art and Design at the University of Gothenburg (HDK-Valand), and the Doctorate in Artistic Practices and Project Culture, for which NABA has received accreditation from the Italian Ministry of Universities and Research (MUR). The NABA Doctoral School also participates in the Doctorates of National Interest (DIN).
The NABA Doctoral School is built on a concept of artistic research, drawing inspiration from critical epistemologies and political and emancipatory frameworks. The PhD programs perceive artistic research as a dynamic space for negotiating social, political, and cultural issues, encouraging interdisciplinary research in the arts, academia, activism, and diverse subcultures. NABA’s primary goal with the Doctoral School is to explore and promote alternative visions in art, transforming knowledge into subjects of outstanding research.
PhD Seminars are held five times per year, from October to January and from March to June, following the academic calendar. This low-residency format allows participants to pursue their projects without needing to relocate permanently to Milan, although that option remains open. During the seminar weeks, participants meet with the NABA Doctoral School team for seminars, workshops, reading groups, and other research activities. Participants also have access to NABA’s facilities, resources, and its wider academic network. Additionally, they are expected to play an active role in shaping the program by organizing workshops, guest lectures, conferences, exhibitions, screenings, and similar events.
Among the many guests of 2024/2025 program curated by Vincenzo Estremo there are: Ursula Biemann; Rabih Mroue; Cally Spooner; Alessandra Ferrini; Into The Black Box and many others.
PhD programs
The PhD in Artistic Practice is a four-year program that fosters both analytical and experimental approaches to project development. Throughout the program, participants collaborate with a diverse team of peers and faculty, gaining valuable experience in writing, organizing, documenting, and conducting independent or collaborative research. The program emphasizes a transdisciplinary and international environment, encouraging participants to engage in creative exchange across different fields and cultural contexts.
The selected PhDs for the year 2024 are: Adrea Steves and Vladislav Shapovalov.
NABA additionally selected 3 members of its staff as PhDs in professional development: Maria Jaber, Andris Brinkmanis and Ali Karami.
The Doctorate in Artistic Practices and Project Culture is a brand-new program result of the recent opportunity given by the Ministry of Universities and Research to Italian Art Academy. The three-year program aims to develop critical skills and train artists, designers, curators, scholars, and producers capable of conducting research and production through innovative methodologies. These include critical epistemologies, empirical research tools, and intersectional approaches, with attention to political and activist theories.
The selected PhDs for the year 2024 are: Carlotta Morelli and Leone Contini.
NABA’s Doctoral School is also part of the Doctorates of National Interest (DIN), a doctoral program created by a consortium of over 20 renowned art academies, music conservatories, and research institutions. As part of this initiative, NABA collaborates with the Fondazione Morra in Naples.
The selected PhDs for the year 2024 will be announced soon.
The launch event of the NABA Doctoral School will be hosted on Milan’s campus (C. Darwin Street n. 20 – Milan – Building T) on November 8, 2024, with an inaugural speech by artist Ursula Biemann.
