We are happy to welcome Sam Thorne as one of our main lecturers to the “Global Academy?” conference on Friday, 5. August.

The former director of Tate St. Ives in Cornwall, who has recently been announced director of Nottingham Contemporary, will soon publish a book titled “School: Conversations on Self-Organised Art Education” which fits perfectly to the topic of our conference. Thorne has also co-founded the Open School East in London, a free-to-attend study programme, and last but not least is he a contributing editor of the international art magazine “frieze”.

We are looking forward to his lecture on alternative art schools and his ideas on new forms of art teaching in the globalised art world.

Today, “education” is a central topic in the global field of art. The explicit question here: how to learn and teach art in the globalised world?

Regina Bittner will start the conference on Friday 5th August at 6.p.m. with a lecture about the topic „Schools of innovation: Bauhaus and Shantiniketan“

 
Bittner is head and deputy director of the Bauhaus Kolleg with a focus on international urban ethnography, cultural and architectural history of modernism and migration and heritage studies.

As “schools of innovation”, the state Bauhaus school in Weimar and the Shantiniketan World University in Calcutta shared the desire for educational reforms, which had been emerging worldwide from a critical view of civilisation and culture since the beginning of the 20th century. The idea was not merely a reform of the existing education system, but a new, comprehensive definition of the relation between education and culture, individual and society. The concepts for reform were wide-ranging; their common base was the idea that the purpose of education was to liberate human creativity and to restore the lost relation between manual skills and the acquisition of knowledge.

You can find further information right here: http://www.summeracademy.at/Global-Academy_411.html

Samiran Nandy, Untitled (Classes under mango trees in Shantiniketan), Copyright: Samiran Nandy, photo: German Literature Archive Marbach

Today, “education” is a central topic in the global field of art. This conference deals with the specific question: how can art be learned and taught in the globalised world? State-run academies are increasingly geared to global demand; countless studio programmes for residencies worldwide allow artists and curators to make contacts, carry out research, etc. in specific places. The focus of this conference is on models and initiatives for a variety of formal and mainly informal artistic training and development facilities.

From now on, we present you our lecturers of the conference on this very blog!
Starting with the schedule and participants:

Friday 6. - 8.30 p.m.

Regina Bittner, Bauhaus Academy, Dessau DE, Schools of innovation: Bauhaus and Shantiniketan

Sam Thorne, Nottingham Contemporary, GB, Art School Confidential

Saturday 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Alessio Antoniolli, Triangle Network, London GB

Diana Campbell Betancourt, Samdani Seminars und Art Foundation, Dhaka BD

Anna Colin, Open School East, London GB

Tony Evanko, Casa Tres Patios, Medellín CO

Carla Herrera Prats, SOMA Mexico Summer, Mexiko City MX

Koyo Kouoh, RAW Material Company Dakar SN

Ahmet Öğüt, The Silent University, London et al., The Studio of Urgency (ended), and The Day After Debt (a long-term strategy for student loan relief)

Farid Rakun, ruangrupa; Jakarta ID

Gabriëlle Schleijpen, DAI Roaming Academy, Arnhem NL

Toleen Touq, Spring Sessions, Amman JO


Saturday 7–8.30 p.m.
Concluding discussion with all participants of the conference

Further details and registration until 20 July: office@summeracademy.at

Ahmet Öğüt, Stones to throw, 2011. Mixed media, Courtesy the artist

One of the main characteristics of the Salzburg International Summer Academy of Fine Arts is that artists from all over the world are invited to direct the courses. Imran Qureshi, based in Lahore (Pakistan), will introduce participants to the secrets of miniature painting. Palestinian photographer Ahlam Shibli will guide them through the process of photography, from finding the subject to the final presentation. And jewellery designer Marc Monzó from Barcelona will take the Big Bang theory as the starting-point for his course.
The Summer Academy still welcomes your application to participate in one of these or 19 further courses!

Imran Qureshi about his latest solo show at Barbican - The Curve in London. Still on view until 10 July.

The Salzburg International Summer Academy of Fine Arts, founded in 1953 by Oskar Kokoschka as the "School of Vision" is the oldest of its kind in Europe. Every year, some 300 participants from more than 50 countries attend some 20 courses.

– open for application to anyone interested
– unique opportunity to study with outstanding artists/curators/writers who mostly don't hold a professorship elsewhere
– during 1–4 weeks, you can devote yourselves exclusively to reflecting on and producing art
– individual attention, one-on-one critiques, as well as group discussions
– fantastic atmosphere in the ancient locations
– some 80 grants, usually covering participation fee only, are available

Priority deadline for regular application: 2 May 2016