MA Contemporary Arts Practice

The MA Contemporary Arts Practice (MA CAP) at Bern Academy of the Arts is an interdisciplinary program for artists and writers working in the fields of Fine Arts, Sound Arts, Literary Writing / Translation and Performance Art. 

The program is esteemed for its expertise and commitment to exploring the intersections between the various artistic fields and disciplines. We aim to foster independent artistic positions in a context of collective and interdisciplinary relationships.  

Students can create highly individualized study profiles and choose from a wide range of elective courses throughout the program. While the development of the individual or collaborative artistic practice is central in mentoring sessions, students are also strongly connected with each other through discourse and exchange across the different artistic fields—in group seminars, reading classes, theory inputs, work presentations, and study trips.  

All students have access to generous studio spaces and high-end facilities such as: 
a media lab; a sound studio; fully equipped workshops for audio-visual work; a multimedia library; and facilities for working with wood, metal, synthetics, ceramics, and textiles.  

Our internationally-connected faculty and visiting artists come from diverse backgrounds. They are artists, writers, performers, curators, musicians, composers, theoreticians, and critics. Together with our alumni, they create an important professional network.  

Our students work in a broad spectrum of art practices focusing on one or combining several study fields in the CAP: 

In Fine Arts students work across a wide variety of media including, still and moving images, sculpture, installation, performance, new media, also engaging with conceptual and documentary strategies. Contemporary artistic discourses, current developments and their historical foundations provide the framework for students’ individual or collaborative works. 

In Sound Arts the main focus is on experimental and electronic music. Students develop compositions, sound installations or other sound-based art forms. We teach compositional strategies and approach sound from a contemporary as well as historical and theoretical point of view.  

In Literary Writing/Translation students come into contact with teachers and students from diverse backgrounds. They work on their own texts in all genres under the supervision of mentors. Literary translation is also regarded as artistic production, which is something unique about the MA CAP.  

In Performance Art students address 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, which opens up new forms of representation, viewing, listening, and participating. 

Requirements 
Prospective students need a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts, Music, Literary Writing or an equivalent diploma.  

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

Application schedule 
Application & portfolio submission: March 15, 2024. Online application here. Admissions interviews: April 11–25, 2024. 

Start of studies: September 16, 2024 
Mode of study: Full-time (four semesters) 
Location: MA Contemporary Arts Practice, Bern Academy of the Arts, Schwabstrasse 10, 3018 Bern, Switzerland 
Tuition fees (per semester): CHF 750 / CHF 950 (for overseas students) 

For individual consultations contact us at: T +41 31 848 49 07 / cap [​at​] hkb.bfh.ch.