Master of Fine Arts programme in Fine Arts
Summary
This international master’s programme is for artists who want to make critical contributions to society. At its centre is the question of publicness: how art and artists help form publics, who is included, and what can make this challenging today. Alongside your own practice, you will build a foundation in artistic research. You will work in a small, diverse group taught by practising artists and researchers.
About
As the relationships between art, artists and society continue to be critically examined, how might they also be rethought and practised anew? This international programme is dedicated to exploring these relationships and their possibilities. Key to the curriculum is what you produce, how, when and for whom. Your answers shape your decisions about ethics, aesthetics, artistic production and where your work may be sited, situated and circulated, including beyond conventional exhibition formats.
At the heart of the programme is ‘artistic enquiry’: an intentional creative process designed to expand public knowledge. You will develop your enquiry by learning and applying research methods that closely integrate art practice with theoretical and contextual frameworks.
Over four terms, you will learn to create increasingly focused and nuanced artistic projects, each with its own system and logic, that address questions of publicness and the role of art and the artist.
You will learn to:
• Analyse societal challenges and phenomena from an artist’s perspective.
• Use research methods to develop meaningful artworks and projects.
• Plan and carry out artistic projects with rigour.
• Decide how your work is shared with publics, and communicate it clearly.
• Articulate why your art, and your role as an artist, matter.
With sharpened skills in critical thinking, production and communication, you will be able to test what art is and does, contribute to debates on the role of the artist, and argue confidently for the relevance of your work.
Teaching and assessment
Teaching combines lectures, seminars, group workshops, and individual and co-operative projects with self-directed and peer-to-peer learning. Each term, your progress is assessed through coursework and oral or written examinations. Examinations focus on three core objectives:
• Knowledge and understanding
• Skills and abilities
• Judgement and evaluation
Extensive network
HDK-Valand is proud of its extensive network of local, national, and international partnerships, including with L’Internationale Online, the Hasselblad Center, and Röda Sten Konsthall. It has a strong research culture with externally funded research projects, and includes Sweden’s first centre of excellence for artistic research: CAPIm–The Centre for Art and the Political Imaginary. It is also home to the PARSE platform for artistic research. You can take part in a lively programme of public symposia, seminars, lectures and conferences. The programme is actively building a network of cultural actors focused on art and publicness in the Gothenburg area, and you will be encouraged to develop your own networks.
Learn more about the teaching staff: Jason E. Bowman, Gloria López Cleries, Dr. Cathryn Klasto, Dr. Maddie Leach and Jesper Norda.
Visit our MFA Fine Art Linktree and follow HDK-Valand on Instagram
Programme structure and content
In the first year, you will explore concepts of publicness and the roles of art and artists in society and methods of artistic research. You'll learn to identify topics to work with, experiment with artistic production, analyse theories, and hone your writing skills. During the second term, you will participate in an elective course, broadening your knowledge alongside students from other specializations. Students apply for the elective courses based on an annual course offering.
The second year deepens your use of artistic research, with a focus on artistic production and theoretical relevance. In the third term, you will compose a substantial text on a topic your select, and plan for the public circulation of your work in term four. Term four is dedicated to the production, contextualization, and public dissemination of your artistic project, culminating in a cooperative project with classmates, faculty, and any external partners.
Who should apply?
This programme is ideal for artists from diverse backgrounds who want to engage critically with the relationship between art and the challenges facing society. Proficiency in your chosen medium or media and a passion for questioning the status quo are essential. If you are interested in publicness, rethinking the roles of art and the artist, or gaining a grounding in artistic research, this programme will support and challenge you. It suits artists who are curious about dissolving boundaries between theory and practice, value working both independently and co-operatively, and want to push themselves and others constructively.
Prerequisites and selection
Entry requirements
Bachelor's degree in fine arts of at least 180 credits or equivalent. Applicants must prove their knowledge of English: English 6/English B from Swedish Upper Secondary School or the equivalent level of an internationally recognized test, for example TOEFL, IELTS. In addition, approved work samples are required.
Portfolio
Portfolio guidelines for the MFA Programme in Fine Arts.
Selection
The selection is based on an assessment of submitted work samples and a personal interview.
After graduation
Graduates receive the degree of Master of Fine Arts.Our alumni have presented their work in renowned galleries, museums and biennials. Others have self-organised outside conventional art systems. Our alumni network includes artists, activists, cultural producers, researchers, academics, curators, critics, writers, educators and commercial gallerists, as well as graduates now working in fields such as DJing, tattooing and farming. This reflects the many ways an art education can be put to work.
Facilities
HDK-Valand is in central Gothenburg. Students have access to a range of production workshops and can borrow specialised equipment. The campus includes well-equipped lecture rooms, flexible studio spaces that can be shared or divided as needed, and bookable project spaces. The building on Vasagatan also houses our student-run galleries, where you can experiment with forms of exhibition and engage with the local art community.
