Materials in Artistic Practices (MAPs)

Program Overview

The Materials in Artistic Practices (MAPs) program is a two-year, full-time Master of Arts degree taught in English in Groningen. It's a practice-based, process-driven program exploring sustainable practices, material alternatives, and the interaction between physical structures and personal presence. The program emphasizes experimentation, adaptation, and integration of theoretical insights into practical work. Students are encouraged to develop a unique and informed creative vision, with a focus on sustainability and ethical considerations in material choices.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

The Materials in Artistic Practices (MAPs) program is a two-year, full-time Master of Arts degree (120 ECTS) taught in English in Groningen. It's a practice-based, process-driven program exploring sustainable practices, material alternatives, and the interaction between physical structures and personal presence. The artistic research focuses on the impact and agency of materials, adding depth to the practice without concentrating on products. The program invites students to investigate materials beyond their functional role, uncovering their ethical dimensions, physical impact, and transformative potential. Students explore sustainable alternatives, material resilience, and the creative possibilities of constructive deconstruction. The artistic journey emphasizes process, awareness, and transformation rather than solely end products. The program aims to enable students to bring new layers of meaning into their practice. It encourages students to view materials not merely as tools but as active carriers of meaning, historical context, and ethical implications integral to their artistic vision.

Outline:

Year 1:

The first year explores the complex world of materials, focusing on artistic research and reflection. Key elements include Lab Weeks and What Matters sessions (roundtable discussions, seminars, and sessions on the artistic research process). Lab Weeks involve exploring sustainable practices (e.g., developing eco-friendly pigments, experimenting with unconventional materials), gaining insight into environmental impact and artistic potential. These weeks emphasize hands-on experimentation, testing, adapting, and reinventing traditional practices to understand how materials influence artistic intention. Roundtable discussions, seminars, and artistic research sessions foster critical dialogue and reflective exchange, addressing ethical dimensions of material choices (sustainability, toxicity, ecological footprint). These sessions encourage feedback from peers and faculty. The curriculum also includes guest lectures, specialized workshops, and unique topics introducing new frameworks and innovative techniques, enhancing the conceptual depth of the practice and integrating broader social, cultural, and environmental contexts. Throughout the year, students engage in a continuous Artistic Research Process, documenting findings and reflections, presenting insights at various stages.

Year 2:

The second year synthesizes the first year's explorations into a cohesive artistic vision, culminating in a graduation project and thesis. The focus shifts to intensive studio work, refining materials and techniques using practical experiments and theoretical insights. However, it mentions the presentation of findings and reflections at various stages throughout Year 1, and the culmination in a graduation project and thesis in Year 2. The assessment likely involves evaluating the artistic process, the final project, and the accompanying thesis.

Teaching:

The program uses a practice-based, process-driven approach. Teaching methods include Lab Weeks, What Matters sessions (roundtable discussions, seminars, and sessions on the artistic research process), guest lectures, specialized workshops, and individual studio work. The faculty includes core faculty members (Linde Ex, Marcel van Kan) and other instructors (Michal Kruger). The program fosters critical dialogue and reflective exchange through discussions and feedback from peers and faculty.

Other:

The program is offered at the Academie Minerva, part of the Hanze University of Applied Sciences. The program emphasizes sustainability and ethical considerations in material choices. Students are encouraged to develop a unique and informed creative vision. The program's location is Groningen.