After a successful first edition, the Department of Fine Arts (DFA) continues its predoctoral programme Transforming Environments. The one-year program enables emerging artists, curators, artistic researchers to conceive and engage in a practice-based PhD project. The aim of the programme is for participants to gain a deeper understanding of the requirements in the academic field, to conceptualize their own approach to artistic research and to elaborate a solid research plan. Within the framework of monthly group meetings, the members actively participate in a culture of peer-exchange. They have access to the University’s infrastructure and research environment, as well as to financial support for project-related travel and production. With the support of individual mentoring, the participants are expected to develop their projects and to hand in a full PhD proposal (exposé) by the end of the program. Participants who successfully complete this programme will qualify to pursue their PhD at the DFA.
Transforming Environments situates artistic research in the context of urgent matters and open questions that emerge from current living conditions. We invite the participants to focus on social, political, or cultural situations which call for rethinking and action. How can such situations be made tangible? How can art negotiate transformation? Which approaches seem suitable to address urgencies, to intervene and have an effect?