Bachelor's programme in Fine Art
Join the second year of Fine Art at HDK-Valand and develop your practice in dialogue with public contexts, through studio work, seminars and exhibitions.
Key facts
- Exchange studies in Fine Art take place during year 2 (autumn or spring).
- You follow the regular programme schedule (30 ECTS per semester).
- One course per semester is elective (7.5 ECTS).
- You must be nominated by your home university (application instructions are sent after nomination).
- Submitted material (portfolio) is reviewed by an admissions jury; places are limited and nominated students are not guaranteed a place.
- Language: the programme is normally conducted in Swedish, but project/course summaries and tutoring are provided in English for exchange students. Proof of English proficiency is not required, but adequate English is expected.
- For deadlines and how to apply: Read more about how and when you can apply here.
About the programme
The Bachelor's programme in Fine Art is a challenging and creative education that equips you to become an artist ready to face an ever-changing society. As a student, you will immerse yourself in and critically reflect on your artistic work, collaborate with others and acquire practical knowledge in various ways of engaging with the public as an artist.
The programme offers you the possibilities to develop and deepen your artistic work while gaining an understanding of the dynamics, opportunities and challenges of the art world. The teaching is primarily focused on your individual artistic work which is combined with studies in art and cultural theory.
You will develop your artistic practice through studio work, supervision, seminars, lectures, workshops and practical work with exhibitions. Theory teaching is combined with essay writing, where you will practise expressing yourself in speech and writing. During your studies, you will have access to your own studio space, well-equipped workshops and knowledgeable technicians, giving you the opportunity to explore and immerse yourself in a variety of techniques and materials.
The teaching staff consists of nationally and internationally active artists, critics, researchers and curators. The programme helps you find your place in the art world and inspires self-organisation and artistic freedom. By engaging with other artists' work in open lectures, seminars and artistic research, you will have the opportunity to broaden your perspective on what art is and can be.
The second year
During the second year the focus is on art and the artist’s role in society. You will develop your artistic work in relation to different public contexts, reflect on exhibition forms and investigate the role of art in the expansion of the public sphere. We work with a broad understanding of what a public space is, be it a physical place, a social context or a digital sphere. You are encouraged to experiment with a new medium or to further develop your current practice towards a dialogue with a public space.
In the autumn semester, much attention is given to exposing your practice to a given or self-chosen specific public space or context with supported experimentation and guidance. We encourage the use of different techniques, methods and discourses expanding the understanding of your work. You will examine how your practice might be in conversation with a public space and how your documentation can strengthen your artistic process. We offer a range of elective courses (7.5 ECTS) in various artistic and thematic areas of specialisation that you can choose from.
The spring semester assignment involves creating work for a group exhibition as part of our collaboration with an external partner. You are expected to produce a new artwork or further develop an existing one in dialogue with, or in response to, a specific site. The work should engage with the context, history, or environment of that site. In previous years, collaborations have taken place with partners such as Gislaved Konsthall, Vänersborgs Konsthall, the Gothenburg Botanical Garden, and the Gothenburg Natural History Museum.
NOTE! The programme is conducted in Swedish, except for semesters when exchange students attends. Applicants who wish to attend the full programme must be proficient in Swedish or another Scandinavian language and be able to demonstrate this through either grades or a Swedish test for higher education. The full programme description and information about how to apply may be found on the Swedish site.
