21 Jan 2020

MA Contemporary Arts Practice, University of the Arts Bern: Call for applications

Master Contemporary Arts Practice

The MA Contemporary Arts Practice (MA CAP) is a multidisciplinary programme for artists engaged in Fine Arts, Sound Arts, Performance Art, and Creative Writing/Literary Translation. The programme aims to foster independent artistic positions in a context of collective and interdisciplinary relationships. Individual mentoring sessions and interdisciplinary group seminars enable exchanges among students and teaching staff across different fields of art.

Fine Arts
In the Fine Arts specialisation, students work in a broad spectrum of art practices involving static and moving images in analogue or digital form, sculpture, installation, conceptual and performative approaches, engaging with social processes, participatory practices and documentary strategies. The course is notable for its strong engagement with the professional demands of sound, words and performative production. Current art discourses and developments as well as the historical foundations of art provide the framework for student's individual or collaborative works.

Sound Arts
The main focus is on experimental and electronic music. Students develop compositions, sound installations or other sound-based art forms. In seminars and lectures, exemplary works of sound art from the past and present are discussed and analysed. We teach compositional strategies and approach sound from a contemporary as well as historical and theoretical point of view. The aim is not to solely develop one's own artistic practice, but also to acquire a comprehensive knowledge of contemporary compositions and art forms. The MA CAP brings students from different artistic areas together, encouraging exchange and collaborative working.

Literary Writing/Translation
Literature reacts to other arts, just as much as it influences them. Students hoping to practice their literary art in the field of contemporary art production will come into contact with a wide range of teachers and students from diverse backgrounds at the CAP. Alongside this vibrant exchange they work on their own texts of all genres under the supervision of mentors. This constitutes the core of the students` individual study profiles. Something unique about the CAP is, that the work of the literary translators (with the source languages German, French, Spanish, Italian, English and Russian and the target languages German or French) is regarded as artistic production. Studies for translators are expanded through the cooperation with the 'Centre de la Traduction Littéraire' at the University of Lausanne.

Performance
In the sense of physical presence, real or conceptual action, performance occurs in various artistic fields. It addresses certain issues relating to body, space and time. Considering the transdisciplinary history of performance, we understand it as a varied and open field of general performativity. Performance is regarded as part of all the different artistic disciplines united under the umbrella of the CAP. As an active form and physical action, it resides within music, fine arts and also literary writing and occurs in close connection with these separate forms. In addition, the focus on performativity opens up new forms of representation, viewing and listening, participating, which the students will explore in the practical work as well as in their theoretical reflection.

Requirements:
Prospective students need a Bachelor`s degree in Music, Fine Arts, Literary Writing or an equivalent diploma. In case of extraordinary artistic talent, candidates from other educational or professional backgrounds will also be accepted. If specific skills are missing, the Head of Studies can demand that those skills will be acquired before or during the studies.

Languages:
The courses are taught in German, French and English. One-to-one mentoring sessions are possible in German, French and English.

Schedule:
Application & portfolio submission: 16 March, 2020
Admissions interviews: 20–28 April, 2020
Feedbacks: 30 April, 2020

Start of studies: September 14, 2020

Location: MA Contemporary Arts Practice, University of the Arts Bern, Schwabstrasse 10, 3018 Bern, Switzerland

Please contact us with any queries on cap@hkb.bfh.ch | +41 31 848 42 02

We look forward to receiving your applications!