The core qualities of the programme are challenge and innovation, making, thinking and sharing, autonomy and diversity, artistic system and artistic attitude, critical vision and theoretical reflection, artistic research.
To realize these qualities, the programme employs specific didactics that are fluid all the time and take the individual differences between artists into account. In this context the course is not seen as a place to work but rather as a place to study. This is a case of a didactic model whose structure is determined by the professional practice. The academic character of the course ensures that – in a practical and theoretical sense – the master student focuses on developing an individually based artistic system that reveals a clear artistic attitude and a highly-developed professional discipline. The students are supervised individually and in groups in their process of making and thinking by two core teachers, one of whom is a practical teacher and one a theoretical teacher, as well as guest teachers, all of them renowned artists and theoreticians.
Making, thinking and sharing
Being integrated in the visual work, reflection, theory and artistic research have a major position within the course. Making, thinking and sharing are considered synergistic quantities and developed to a high standard. The course pays attention to strengthening the artistic attitude and developing an individual artistic system, i.e., the whole of artistic goals and means employed by the artist. It constitutes a personal, associative and constantly developing system. The relationship between the whole of artistic goals and the artist's personal thought system is put into effect in an individual artist's theory, in which views are explained with regard to the working method, the way of collecting, combining/transforming significant material, and concerning art and artistry in general.
Semester system
The programme is organized according to a semester system, where different didactic aspects are emphasized every semester. Play and experiment, reflection on the student's own work and that of others, collecting, combining and transforming significant material, generating an artistic system, and the position in and communication with the artistic professional practice – these are all aspects that are on the programme throughout the course. Some didactic aspects are bound to play a more important role at certain stages of the course, but basically they are constantly being discussed and developed without exception, as education at this course is not linear, but concentric in nature. The fourth semester is mostly taken up with preparing for graduation. We also concentrate on communication, and the relationship with the art world and society. The course concludes with presenting the results of studio research and theoretical thesis. Both are presented in the form of a public exhibition.
Full-time course
The Painting master's degree is a full-time course. The programme of 120 credits is split over two academic years. This will enable to attain a high level of practical expertise and provide the student with knowledge of technical or scientific disciplines, and how to apply them.
Eligibility
In principle, the course is suitable both for students who have just completed their bachelor's degree and are capable of conducting artistic research independently and in a broad context, and artists who have already been working as professionals at bachelor level for several years. In both situations the study programme offers the desired conceptual deepening and broadening of professional skills, and the frameworks for artistic research.