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Full-time Daily Studies. All study programmes are taught in Slovak.

Field of study Arts:

Study programmes:

Field of study Art and Culture Sciences

Study programmes:

 

Field of study Arts

 

Visual Arts

 

Graduate profile and learning objectives:

  • The main goal of the education of the study programme is artistic creation, which includes a whole set of activities: from the artistic concept, theory, research, to the realisation of an original work of art as an autonomous attitude of artists and evaluation of their talent. At the time of completion of the study programme, students are capable of conceptual and coordination activities and international confrontation. They can create innovatively and experimentally, they can use the entire range of technological procedures and media resulting from the content of the study programme. With their creative work and attitudes, they significantly participate in the formation and development of culture and society. At the time of completion of the study programme, students are able to purposefully use a wide range of media to their advantage and through them create strategies for their artistic growth and influence on the cultural development of society. They can critically analyse the current cultural mindset of society in a social, economic, historical and political context. Students are able to creatively use a wide range of technical and technological tools and equipment, from analog to highly sophisticated digital ones. They understand the devices used in terms of their usefulness for their
    creative work and are able to create tasks and requirements for the service staff. They are able to work independently with digital tools and are constantly learning about them as part of their artistic focus.
  • The main outputs of education:
    • Graduates can, either as individuals or as members of creative collectives, create a challenging autonomous work of art in the context of contemporary visual art. Graduates are able to understand,critically analyse, evaluate and interpret the content of an artistic and professional text, the problems raised in it and their broader meanings. They are able to analyse, interpret and present their work in a foreign language, and at the same time, thanks to their language and communication skills, they are able to employ themselves and work in an international context as part of artistic research projects. Graduates are able to critically assess their abilities so that they are motivated to achieve their own professional goals, which they can identify and autonomously evaluate for their own benefit and growth.
    • Graduates have the skills and competences of independent economic functioning in society. They can choose an appropriate form of artistic operation for their creative activities (SZČO, s. r. o., O.Z., etc.) and use the possibilities of supporting grant and residency structures in the local and foreign environment. Graduates are capable of active social interaction. They can support and initiate team cooperation and take responsibility for it. They respect the otherness and uniqueness of people and cultures, establish and maintain relationships in their personal and professional life, and are able to evaluate their ethical and social connections.
    • With their artistic and civic attitude, graduates actively contribute to the protection of the environment and cultural heritage not only for themselves, but also for future generations. Graduates understand citizenship, democracy, social justice, foreign cultures, the rights of other persons, different cultural needs and values. They can critically perceive the functioning of churches, self-government and the state. Graduates can analyse the causes and consequences of regional and global problems. The specific contribution of AFAD graduates is increased sensitivity to shared public space, both physical and virtual, as well as critical reflection of its visual aspects. They perceive the role of the media in society, including internet platforms and social networks, responsibly and, based on their qualifications, co-create this environment in accordance with relevant international obligations and national legislation.

Applicability:

  • Graduates have the qualification for employment in a wide range of artistic and cultural operations in the local and foreign environment, in public or private organisations. They can work as independent visual artists with exhibition practice, members of creative artistic teams (also with overlap within other fields, e.g. architecture, film, design), pedagogically in educational institutions (Art School, Secondary Art School, Art Academy, gallery education, lecturing activities and lifelong learning), experts in cultural institutions (galleries, museums, theatres, cultural and creative centres), employees in local self-governments (departments of culture, education, popularisation of culture, cultural institutions abroad), creative workers in industrial and other commercial operations (advertising and marketing agencies, creative production in the creative industry).

Structure and content of the study programme:

  • In the Visual Arts study programme, profile subjects have a specific character in the form of Studio courses. Studio courses are the most important credit component of the study programme in terms of content, difficulty of output and time allocation. Studio courses are divided into specialisations according to the media specification: Painting; Sculpture; Printmaking; Digital Arts; Photography; Intermedia; Glass, ceramics, jewellery. A mandatory component of the profile subjects of the study programme is the profile theoretical subject, the most important one regarding its scope and content: Interpretation frameworks of contemporary art, which prepares students in the field of theory and Interpretation frameworks of contemporary art, which prepares students in the field of theory and interpretation of contemporary art and at the same time reflects all the mentioned media specialisations. Studio courses and the main theoretical subject Interpretation frameworks of contemporary art are a mandatory basis for every student of the Visual Arts study programme. Successful completion of the Studio courses ends with the defence of the diploma thesis, and successful completion of the Interpretation Frameworks of Contemporary Art subject ends with a state theoretical exam.
  • The Visual Arts study programme is complemented by a group of compulsory optional subjects, which are divided into professional practical and professional theoretical subjects. These subjects provide a foundation towards media specialisation and at the same time deepen interdisciplinarity with respect to the world of art and culture. There are also subjects that improve language preparation in the field of contemporary art and culture and in the field of soft skills such as knowledge of copyright law, marketing in art and the skills in project and grant activities. Training in the field of soft skills is also planned in the form of block teaching and professional workshops for the up-to-date information and knowledge from practice.
  • A complementary group to the compulsory basis and compulsory optional subjects are optional subjects, through which students have the opportunity to transfer to other study programmes at the AFAD, such as design, architecture and restoration. This group also includes a subject enabling real practice in an external environment aimed at a wider field of cultural professions. Optional subjects are enriched by a number of subjects that, through workshops, courses, excursions and in the form of short-term education, respond dynamically to current topics of visual art by using renowned practitioners from the artistic and cultural environment, or as part of the school's internationalisation with foreign educators and practitioners.
  • Part of the education in the Visual Arts study programme is the possibility of internships and supplementary internships on the local and foreign scene, which, as part of the education, bring students direct contact with a professional environment in which they gain practical experience and skills. The internship is also an opportunity for students to gain new professional contacts and connections, as well as theoretical experience with benefits after graduation. At the same time, foreign mobility in the form of internships at foreign partner schools is encouraged, where they are positively confronted with educational experiences in a different cultural and social environment. They also confront their artistic work in the international field and have the opportunity to become part of international artistic and cultural networks.
  • As part of the wider educational process, master's students are integrated into ongoing research projects at the AFAD in the form of direct application to education or through publication and other presentation activities, which are also supported by grant systems (especially KEGA - Cultural and Educational Grant Agency of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic) and through the presentation of creative and artistic activity (especially FPU - Slovak Art Council).

 

The main pedagogue responsible for the study programme:

Person responsible for the delivery, development, and quality of the study programme:

Other pedagogues providing the study programme:

Outputs of the creative activity of the study program

Study advisor of the study programme:

Student representatives who represent the interests of study program students:

 

Description of the study programme:

Study plan of the study programme:

Subject information sheets of the study programme:

Link to the decision and evaluation report of the PS on the application for accreditation of the study program according to § 30 of Act no. 269/2018 Coll. (These documents are available in Slovak)

 

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Design

 

Graduate profile and learning objectives:

  • The main objective of the education in the study program Design in the MA degree is complex knowledge and skills for the profession in the fields of design and art that have very broad potential in the present. Through diverse design outcomes, design touches many aspects of life. It is understood as a source of many cultural values, with the potential to influence society in a number of aspects – cultural, social, economic, and ecological. Design is sensible to fast changes in technological development and its impact. The education in the MA degree in the study program Design reflects this complex thinking and its goal is to develop knowledge, skills, and competencies of students in some mutually linked and mutually linked areas: individual detection and definition of a problem, theoretical analysis within the present state of knowledge (including latest knowledge in science, technology, and related humanities), its critical reflection, formulation of possible solutions and concepts, in regard to social, ethical and ecological responsibility and economical effectivity. The choice of suitable means of expression in visual and material realizations is crucial in the proposed solutions and concepts. This requires knowledge of design methods, 2D and 3D software, virtual reality, and skills in analog and digital drawing on a sufficient level. Applying an individual authentic artistic view and experimental approach, the student is able to formulate an innovative solution to a problem and his/her original statement that he/she clearly communicates. Within the realization phase, the objective of education is to deepen knowledge, skills, and competencies in realization (analog and digital) technologies and materials. Individual research by students is supported and the focus is on high-quality of models and prototypes realization. Demand is on experimental approach and courage to overstep the limits of art media to enrich the territory of design for new approaches. The goal is to make the students understand the multidisciplinary character of design that presently oversteps physical limits and is realized in the sphere of digital applications and services. Another objective is to master advanced methods of presentation with a focus on the use of a broad spectrum of presentation software, sophisticated and clear execution of presentation, communication, and argumentation skills. The education process also develops the managing and organizational abilities of students and offers
    experience in communication with the external environment in the form of practical assignments, cooperation with experts in particular areas, individual exhibition activities, and participation in competitions in Slovak or international contexts.
  • The objective of MA education in the study program Design is realized in three specializations – Design, Textile Creation, and Visual Communication. In their framework, profile courses with various focuses (please, refer to the Information Sheets of Studio Course) in studios and the profile theoretical course Interpretational Framework of Contemporary Design I - III are taught.
  • The main outputs of education: 
    • The MA graduate in the study program Design has deep knowledge of the theory and history of the studied field. Depending on his/her specialization, he/she has insight into related humanities, science, and technology, is able to search for necessary information, and pursue further education. He/she is able to comprehend, critically analyze, evaluate and interpret the content of specialized text in design and draw conclusions to apply in his/her design/artistic creation. He/she is able to apply acquired knowledge for his/her further development. The graduate keeps an overview of current social and cultural events, he/she is sensitive to fast global changes that are still more mutually related and complex. He/she is aware of the need to actively consider current global problems and identify them, which requires a creative approach to solving human needs in regard to the principles of sustainability.
    • Individually or in a creative team, the graduate is able to create a complex autonomous design or artwork; he/she is able to critically evaluate its social importance, ethical and ecological context. He/she applies the responsible approach also in communication with a possible client or business partner and so contributes to positive changes in the general notion of design in regard to sustainability in the future and in the corporal or institutional environment.
    • The student is able to visualize his/her concept by means of advanced knowledge in design methods (drawing, 2D and 3D software, virtual reality, etc.) in a broad media scale, with emphasis on innovative processes towards an autonomous visual expression and the original message. He/she masters tools for communication with the production sphere (technical documentation, logistic-economic relations, and other tools of soft skills).
    • The graduate has an extensive overview of prototyping technologies (analog and digital) and materials, is able to choose the appropriate procedure for the realization of his/her design and/or artwork. Based on this knowledge, he/she is able to develop his/her own original technological procedures and realize material research with the aim to broaden knowledge in this field. He/she follows the development of production technologies in practice and applies it effectively in communication with a possible producer–client. He/she is able individually to source new experts from various fields for cooperation and manage a multidisciplinary creative team.
    • The graduate is able to clearly communicate the results of his/her creative process to experts and the lay public, using advanced presentation methods and software and focusing on verbal delivery and argumentation. He/she is able to socially interact, support, and initiate team cooperation and take responsibility for it. Communication skills in a foreign language enable him/her to prove his/her competence in the international environment.
    • Besides design studios or design departments of development and production companies, the graduate has the potential to pursue his/her own business (self-employed person, civil association) and is able to receive grants and residencies for his/her projects in Slovakia or abroad.
    • The graduate is an active member of society that recognizes the role of a designer in local and global problem solutions. He/she comprehends the concepts of citizenship, democracy, social justice, foreign cultures, human rights, and different cultural needs and values. With his artistic and civic standpoint, he/she actively contributes to the development of cultural values, nature protection, and cultural heritage.

Applicability:

  • A graduate has the potential to work in a broad area of design, artistic and cultural production, in Slovakia and abroad - in private companies, public organizations and institutions, and in offices of the civil service. He/she can manage creative design and interdisciplinary teams (also overlapping with other fields, architecture, visual arts, and audiovisual art). He/she can work as a pedagogue in educational institutions (primary art schools, the School of Applied Arts, universities, in gallery pedagogy, as a lecturer, in life-long education), a specialist in cultural institutions (galleries, museums, theaters, cultural and creative centers), in a municipality (offices of culture, education, popularization of culture, in cultural institutions abroad), a creative specialist in industrial and other commercial companies (advertising and marketing agencies, design, prototype and experimental studios, graphic and multimedia studios, creative production in the creative industry). The MA graduate in the study program Design masters processes of so-called design thinking, applied in various social areas: to analyze clients´ needs, to define problems, to propose and test possible solutions. Thus, the possibilities of the graduates´ employability are broadened to professions beyond fields of art where creative thinking is required too.

Structure and content of the study programme:

  • The profile courses in the study program Design have a specific character, mainly the character of Studio Courses. As for its content, requirements, and time consumption, the Studio Course has the most significant credit value. The Studio Course is divided into specializations, according to media: Design (specialized in industrial design - Studio Industrial Design, transport design - Studio Transport Design, interior design - Studio of Interior Design, and experimental design - Studio of Experimental Design), Textile Creation (specialized in fashion design – Studio of Fashion Design, textile design – Studio of Textile Design, textile in space – Studio of Textile in Space), Visual Communication (specialized in typography and type design –TypoLab, visual identity – Studio Identity, visual communication in space – Studio Space, multimedia – Studio Multimedia).
  • The studio education is focused on advanced original work, research in design, and experimental approaches to work with a broad range of materials, to designing, realization, and presentation technologies. It develops communication, presentation and argumentation skills, and critical thinking.
  • The education program in individual studios focuses on innovative creativity from free art to product design. In the study process, the student is trained to independently generate his/her own topic, analyze impulses and sources of inspiration, and reflect on current social issues.
  • The individual education program in the studios aims to train the students so they have the competence to contribute to the development of design as a professional field, new understanding and interpretation of functions and application of a product and artwork in social, technological, and environmental challenges, the students are constantly confronted with.
  • The integral part of the education process in studios are projects realized in cooperation with partners and topical workshops led by external experts in design practice, research, and theory, invited on the basis of current assignments. Content, topic, and focus of individual cooperation projects and workshops are updated each semester for each studio, based on current trends, individual requirements of pedagogues (or students), and based on offers and demands from the external environment. The outcome of the MA study is the realization of the original design and/or art project, combining acquired knowledge, strategies, and realization skills. The project is publicly presented to combining acquired knowledge, strategies, and realization skills. The project is publicly presented to experts, or even to the lay public - in the form of installation, video presentation, or other agreed form of realization presentation in cooperation with an external (industrial) partner.
  • In the process of this creative work, the students acquire the basics of research methods, strengthen their analytical, critical, and creative thinking, and improve their material-technological skills. Overall, they strengthen their competencies in design or artistic practice.
  • The essential criteria of assessment are communication with a pedagogue, intensity and process of study, concept and its visualization, artistic realization, choice of materials and technological procedures, and quality of technical and craft features of the result, with respect to the concept of assignment, evaluation of preparatory studies, quality of research procedures and visual record of the entire study process, final visual presentation and installation, verbal presentation and defense of the project.
  • Knowledge – a student must have an essential theoretical and practical background in preparation of a concept content and visualization, its application in assigned or self-defined research-realization projects developing beyond their standard framework.
  • Skills – a student must be able to analytically execute an assignment, master designing methods (digital and analog), prototype and realization technologies, or even technologies used in industrial practice.
  • Competences – a student must be able to individually realize a preparatory analysis and design or artistic research in the given field, creative execution on a respective level, and a post-production phase of a quality realization of the project outcome.
  • Other profile courses of the MA study program Design are theoretical courses Interpretational Framework of Contemporary Design I – III, preparing students in the field of theory and interpretation of contemporary design and art, and reflecting all mentioned media specializations. The Studio Course and the pivotal theoretical courses Interpretational Framework of Contemporary Design I – III represent a compulsory basic for all students in Design. For successful completion of the Studio Course, a student must pass a diploma thesis defense, and for successful completion of the courses Interpretational Framework of Contemporary Design I – III, a student must pass the theoretical state examination.
  • The study program Design is completed by a group of compulsory optional courses, divided into specialized practical and specialized theoretical courses. These courses build a basis for further media specialization and deepen the interdisciplinary character of the study program, regarding the fields of design, art, and culture. In this group, there are also courses focused on language skills in the field of contemporary design, art, and culture, and in the field of soft skills, such as copyright law, marketing in art, and skills in projects and grants applications. The courses in soft skills can be planned in blocks and specialized workshops to reflect the up-to-datedness of information and knowledge used in practice.
  • In addition to the compulsory basis and compulsory optional courses, there are optional courses for students to get insight into other study programs in AFAD, such as visual art, architecture, restoration, and history and practice of contemporary art. Among optional courses, there is also a course with a possibility of an internship in an external environment of a broader scale of professions in culture.
  • This group of courses is enriched by a series of courses in form of workshops, excursions, or short-term courses that dynamically react to current issues in design; employing professionals from the design, artistic, and cultural environments or foreign pedagogues in the process of the school internationalization.
  • The key principle in the MA study program Design is the overlapping of individual specializations and focuses of studios. The studios cooperate with each other and so create the environment for students to choose their individual paths in the study with all parameters of quality and requirements maintained.
  • Part of the education in the DESIGN study program is the possibility of a work internship and additional work internship in the domestic and foreign fields, which, as part of the education, bring students direct contact with a professional environment in which they acquire practical experience and skills. At the same time, the internship is an opportunity for the student to gain new professional contacts and connections, as well as theoretical experience with Applicability and the possible direction of one's own professional career after graduation. At the same time, foreign mobility is supported for students in the form of internships at foreign partner schools, where they are positively confronted with educational experiences in a different cultural and social environment. Here they also confront their artistic outputs on the international field and have the opportunity to become part of international design, artistic, cultural and research networks, consortia and production initiatives, communities and enterprises.
  • As part of the wider educational process, master's students are integrated into ongoing design-research or art-research projects at VŠVU in the form of direct participation in their application to teaching or through exhibition, publication and other presentation activities, which is also assisted by state-funded grant schemes supporting educational activity (especially KEGA - Cultural and Educational Grant Agency of the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Slovak Republic) and the presentation of creative and artistic activities (especially FPU - Art Support Fund) as well as several non-state grant and scholarship schemes, e.g. Visegrad Fund, Tatrabanka Foundation, Novum Foundation, etc.

 

The main pedagogue responsible for the study programme:

Person responsible for the delivery, development, and quality of the study programme:

Other pedagogues providing the study programme:

Outputs of the creative activity of the study program

Study advisors of the study programme:

Student representatives who represent the interests of study program students:

 

Description of the study programme:

Study plan of the study programme:

Subject information sheets of the study programme:

 

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Conservation and Restoration

 

Graduate profile and learning objectives:

  • AFAD – Department of Restoration as a full member of ENCoRE (European Network of Conservation-
    Restoration Education) respects the rules of the organization and follows its recommendations in the
    field of conservation-restoration educational programme. It adheres to strict conditions for the structure
    of the educational programme and implements it in regard to the ratio of theory and practice, as well
    as to the required ratio of the number of students per teacher.
  • The main goal of the study programme Conservation and Restoration is a whole set of specialised activities that include various types of non-destructive and destructive research methods, including chemical-technological research, processes from preventive conservation and remedial conservation and restoration to the actual restoration realisation (stabilisation, cleaning, consolidation, interpretation of the aesthetic value of the work...) and the realisation of two-stage restoration documentation. Students are led to maximum artistic and ethical responsibility and become familiar with the autonomous role of the restorer in the structure of monument care, gallery and museum practice.
  • At the time of completion of the study programme, students have extended specialised practical and theoretical training, based on studies in the field of restoration and conservation of artworks of various material nature, at a professional level of knowledge of the current state of the field in an international context. In the course of their studies, they focus and profile in the chosen discipline in one of the specialisations of restoration of artworks in 2D (works on canvas or wooden support, works on paper, photographs, wall paintings), objects made of textiles or sculptural works of art (polychromed wooden sculpture, stone sculpture, metal artefacts).
  • After completing their studies, students are able to maintain contact with developments in their discipline, take and present positions in the field of fine arts, organise their further professional growth and cooperate with other professions in the execution of restoration work. They are capable of conceptual and coordination activities and international confrontation. They can use the entire range of technological procedures resulting from the content of the study programme. With their creative work and attitudes, they significantly participate in the formation and development of culture and society. They can critically analyse the current cultural state of society in a social, economic and historical context. Students are able to use a wide range of technical and technological tools and equipment necessary for restoration practice.
  • The main outputs of education:
    • ENCoRE for the master's degree in the field of conservation-restoration, within the framework of mastering certain parameters of skills, knowledge and competences, assumes level EKR 7, as defined by the partner international association E.C.C.O. (European Confederation of Conservator-Restorers Organizations) in the publication Competences for Access to the Conservation-Restoration Profession © E.C.C.O. 2011 – European Confederation of  Conservator-Restorers Organizations A.I.S.B.L. / Confédération Européenne des Organizations de Conservateurs-Restaurateurs A.I.S.B.L.; Susan Corr, (coordinator) and co-authors, 2nd edition ISBN 978-92-990010-7-3, p. 28-33 (Available at: https://www.ecco-eu.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/ECCO_Competences_EN.pdf).
    • At EKR level 7, professional knowledge in the field of conservation-restoration is required, which can only be obtained through education that is an appropriate balance of integrated theoretical and practical learning. At this level, graduates have the ability to acquire knowledge, to evaluate their validity and reliability, and by applying them to justify all decisions related to their own specialisation as a conservator-restorer, or to carry out or manage activities stemming from these decisions. They have the ability to observe, gather and critically analyse relevant information to reach appropriate conclusions and carry out a course of action. Graduates independently manage all the restoration skills and knowledge necessary for chemical-technological and restoration research and its evaluation, development of a proposal for restoration, as well as the restoration realisation and its detailed multimedia documentation. They have a high degree of knowledge of methods, materials, tools  and equipment within the given specialisation. They can apply them independently and creatively when performing their profession as a restorer, or when continuing their university studies according to a doctoral study programme. Their knowledge is based on knowledge of the history and current state of the field. They have the necessary advanced to proficient/cognitive skills, as well as the knowledge and experience to work in their specialised field within the ethical and practical boundaries of the conservator-restorer profession. Furthermore, they have in-depth knowledge of the history of fine arts and architecture, also of art theory, aesthetics and the history of culture. Graduates are able to carry out restoration research, independently analyse and interpret works of art. Furthermore, they are able to independently restore works of art and architectural elements and units and use the entire range of technological procedures and materials resulting from the focus of the study programme. Students are able to cooperate in professional activities with other professions, maintain contact with developments in their discipline, adopt and present positions in the field of material culture, follow appropriate practices in accordance with the professional, ethical, legal, economic and ecological framework of their profession and present their activity also in a foreign language. Graduates are able to critically assess their abilities so that they are motivated to achieve their own professional goals, which they can identify and autonomously evaluate for their own benefit and growth.
    • They can become members of the Chamber of Restorers of Slovakia.
    • Graduates have the skills and competences of independent economic functioning in society. They can choose an appropriate form of artistic operation for their creative activities (SZČO, s. r. o.,  O.Z., etc.) and profit from the possibilities of grant and residency platforms in the local and foreign environment.
    • Graduates are capable of active social interaction. They can support and initiate  team cooperation and take responsibility for it. They respect the otherness and uniqueness of people and cultures, establish and maintain relationships in their personal and professional life, and are able to evaluate their ethical and social connections.
    • With their artistic and civic attitude, graduates actively contribute to the protection of the  environment and cultural heritage not only for themselves, but also for future generations. Graduates understand the role of citizenship, democracy, social justice, foreign cultures, the rights of other persons, different cultural needs and values. They can critically perceive the functioning of churches, self-governments and the state. Graduates can analyse the causes and consequences of regional and global problems. The specific contribution of the AFAD graduate is increased sensitivity to shared public space, both physical and virtual, as well as critical reflection of its visual aspects. They perceive the role of the media in society, including internet platforms and social networks, responsibly and, based on their qualifications, co-create this environment in accordance with relevant international obligations and national legislation.

Applicability:

  • The possibilities of employability of master's degree graduates in painting restoration, sculpture restoration, paper and photography restoration, as well as textile restoration are primarily in independent restoration work. They are capable of independent realisation of restoration projects in the full breadth of their complexity, from restoration research to restoration realisation. Graduates are therefore primarily employed as independent restorers, expert advisors in the field of conservation and restoration and historical technologies. They can also be employed as researchers in the field of cultural heritage preservation and as leaders of a restoration team in museums and galleries. After completing additional pedagogical studies, they are able to become teachers at elementary, secondary schools and universities in their field. They can become members of the Chamber of Restorers of Slovakia.

Structure and content of the study programme:

  • In the Conservation and Restoration study programme, profile subjects have a specific character in the form of Studio Courses. Studio Courses is the most important credit component of the study programme in terms of content, difficulty of output and time allocation. Studio Courses at the Department of Conservation and Restoration are divided according to the specialisations represented by individual Studios, or so-called Laboratories that replace studio courses: Studios and one Laboratory: Studio of Stone Sculptures and Stone Elements of Architecture Restoration, Studio of Wooden Sculptures Conservation and Restoration, Studio of Artwork on Paper and Other Media Restoration, Studio of Photography Conservation and Restoration, Studio of Textile Conservation and Restoration, Studio of Painting Conservation and Restoration, Laboratory of Modern and Contemporary Painting Conservation and Restoration, Laboratory of Wall Paintings Conservation and Restoration.
  • Student choose a Studio/Laboratory with a specific specialisation already in the application form of the candidate for master's studies in the study programme Conservation and Restoration.
  • The programme of individual Studios/Laboratories is formed by the concept of the head teacher. It consists primarily of work on studio assignments, which are continuously consulted in the manner of an individual dialogue between the teacher and the student. At the same time, head teachers complement the studio courses with theoretical lectures devoted to various issues within their specialisation. The main part of the studio assignments consists of the restoration of historical works - monuments that come from various sources: galleries, museums, private collections, churches, public spaces, etc.; in the case of murals, they are part of immovable monuments. The assignment may consist of an individual work intended for restoration or a complete set of works or, on the contrary, several unrelated works, depending on the nature, character or extent of damage and the expected difficulty of restoration/conservation work on selected monuments. In the case of more monumental monuments (e.g. altarpieces, large-format paintings, wall paintings, set of stone sculptures, etc.), students can participate in the ensemble by comprehensive restoration of a selected part of the ensemble, or only by selected actions within the framework of cooperation with other students participating in the restoration of such a work. The assignment also takes into account the difficulty of realising a specific
    restoration method, which must be adequate to the students' abilities and level of study. Suitable works for restoration as part of studio courses are provided by head teachers of the Studio/Laboratory. If the nature of the restored artefact requires it (e.g. its multi-material composition), for the success and complexity of the professional intervention, inter-studio cooperation will naturally be created; in the case of other specific needs, responsible teachers ensure cooperation with the external subjects. The selection of works for restoration or various additional exercises is followed by e.g. also the intention of including the widest possible spectrum of different issues in the specialisation during studies in the given Studio/Laboratory. When choosing the assignment of a work-monument, the specific restoration issue and the difficulty it represents, students' profiles are also taken into account, such as their previous experience and realisations in the given specialisation, e.g. while studying the bachelor's study programme Conservation and Restoration work at the AFAD or at another school. The assignments also include the realisation of complex restoration research and a proposal for restoration and the elaboration of two-stage restoration documentation in accordance with Law no. 49/2002 Coll. as amended.
  • The main purpose of studio courses in the master's degree is to deepen the knowledge gained in the
    previous study, but with a narrower focus on the chosen specialisation and in the whole set of professional activities: from various types of non-destructive and destructive research methods, including chemical-technological research, through the restoration realisation itself, resolving methodological questions up to the elaboration of restoration documentation. Emphasis is also placed on the greater independence of students, on formulating their own attitude and opinion in the process of evaluating research and restoring a specific work based on the acquired experience.
  • In the first and second semester of the 1st year of the master's degree, students work on a semester or year assignment in a selected specialised Studio/Laboratory. In the first year of the master's degree, students also have the option, in case of interest or need to expand their knowledge by another framework of another restoration specialisation, to take the optional subject Supplementary Studio in another specialised studio in the study programme Conservation and Restoration. If interested in expanding the possibilities of the artistic direction, also in any other study programme at the AFAD.
  • No later than at the beginning of the 3rd semester of the 2nd year of the master's study of the study programme Conservation and Restoration, students receive the assignment of the final thesis - a diploma thesis, which contains a practical and written part forming one thematic unit. Successful completion of Studio Courses ends with the defence of a diploma thesis, and successful completion of theoretical subjects ends with a theoretical state exam. See more detailed information in the document below: Study plan.
  • The compulsory complement to the profile subject is the professional subject, the most important one in regard to the scope and content: Restoration research I – II, which prepares students comprehensively in the chemical-physical-technological areas of restoration research. The complexity of training in other fields of theoretical and practical skills of future restorers is complemented by other compulsory professional subjects: Restoration documentation 2nd level I - IV, Law of cultural heritage protection 2nd level and Drawing I - II. The deepening of knowledge in historical and art history areas important for the given field of study is ensured by the compulsory theoretical subjects: Interpretation frameworks of restoration work I – III.
  • The Conservation and Restoration study programme is supplemented by a group of compulsory optional subjects, which are divided into professional practical subjects that expand the basis for one's own specialisation, and theoretical subjects that deepen interdisciplinarity with regard to the world of art and culture. The education also includes subjects that improve language training in the field of art and culture and in the field of soft skills such as knowledge of copyright laws, cultural management and the ability to prepare project and grant activities. Education in the field of soft skills is also planned in the form of block teaching and professional workshops for the up-to-date information and knowledge from practice.
  • A complementary group of compulsory basis and compulsory optional subjects are optional subjects, through which students have the opportunity to transfer to other study programmes at the AFAD, such as design, architecture and visual arts. This group also includes a subject enabling direct practice in an external environment. Optional subjects are enriched by a number of subjects that, through workshops, courses, excursions and in the form of short-term education, respond dynamically to current topics of visual art by using renowned practitioners from the artistic and cultural environment, or as part of the academy's internationalisation with foreign teachers and practitioners.
  • Part of the education in the study programme Conservation and Restoration is the possibility of an internship and supplementary internship in the local and foreign scene, which within the framework of education bring students direct contact with a professional environment in which they acquire practical experience and skills. The internship is also an opportunity for students to gain new professional contacts and connections, as well as theoretical experience with benefits after graduation. At the same time, international student mobility is supported in the form of internships at foreign partner schools, where they are positively confronted with educational experiences in a different cultural and social environment. They also confront their works in the international field and have the opportunity to become part of international artistic, restoration and cultural networks.
  • As part of the wider educational process, master's students are integrated into ongoing research projects at the AFAD in the form of direct application to education or through publication and other presentation activities, which are also supported by grant systems (especially KEGA - Cultural and Educational Grant Agency of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic).

 

The main pedagogue responsible for the study programme:

Person responsible for the delivery, development, and quality of the study programme:

Other pedagogues providing the study programme:

Outputs of the creative activity of the study program

Study advisor of the study programme:

Student representatives who represent the interests of study program students:

 

Description of the study programme:

Study plan of the study programme:

Subject information sheets of the study programme:

Link to the Chamber of Restorers

  • President of the Chamber of Restorers:
    • Mgr. art. Barbara Davidson, ArtD.
  • List of members of the Expert Commission for Restoration Education of the Chamber of Restorers:
    • Mgr. art. Juraj Puškár
    • Mgr. Peter Gomboš, academic painter – restorer
    • Tomáš Lupták, academic sculptor

 

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Architectural Creation

 

Graduate profile and learning objectives:

  • The main goal of the education in the study program Architectural Creation in its Master´s degree (MA) is to build on a general basis and complex knowledge and competence in the field of art, architectural designing, and constructional-technical disciplines synthesized in a complex architectural project in the Bachelor´s degree. The MA degree deepens knowledge in the preparation of an architectural concept and architectural design, in individual architectural studios, according to their particular specializations. The students acquire new knowledge, skills, capabilities, and experience in the current approaches in architectural research, designing, experimentation and its testing in architectural practice. The education leads to cooperation with other artistic, scientific and technical disciplines, in regard to the context and autonomy of architectural creation, oversteps prevailing standards, and is directed to the ability to formulate a unique approach, strategies, and programs. Such an educational concept is supported by the cooperation of studios, as well as historiographical, theoretical, design, and constructional-technical knowledge in modern architecture, and by opportunities for various traineeships and scholarships in Slovakia or abroad (for example, ERASMUS)
  • The Master's graduates in Architectural Creation are capable of individual work in research, concept preparation, designing, project realization, and construction supervision. They are able critically to reflect on the traditional interpretations of history, theory, designing, and construction. They show critical thinking and interpretation of their own work in domestic and international contexts. They are trained to creatively broaden and review their knowledge and competencies, and to acquire new ones, applying classical and innovative, analog and digital visualizing and modeling approaches and tools of designing.

Applicability:

  • The MA graduates of Architectural Creation have the knowledge, skills, and abilities to synthesize and generalize knowledge, competencies, and skills from the BA and follow-up MA degrees. They are able to work individually and in a team, in the field of architecture and urbanism, interior design, and interior elements design. They can work in the fields overlapping with other visual arts and design (for example, product design, digital art, photography, video, film, and scenography, etc.), in the field of environment and landscape design. They are able to work in architectural studios, locally and globally. Passing their authorization examination, they can establish their own architectural and urbanism studios, prepare architectural designs, coordinate realizations, and supervise construction projects. Further, the graduates with the pedagogical minimum can teach (presently at secondary schools and universities in Bratislava, Košice, and abroad). They can also pursue research and scientific work (the Slovak Academy of Sciences), in the fields of popularization and media promotion of architecture, urbanism, and landscape design (in state and private galleries, Kunsthalle, journals on architecture and mass media, including newspaper, radio, film, television and digital media), and in other professional organizations (the Slovak Architects Association, the Slovak Chamber of Architects), or all levels of the Civil Service (from civic to state and international).
  • A graduate of the master's degree can practice the regulated profession of architect based on the authorization exam of the Slovak Chamber of Architects. A professional qualification is a basic prerequisite for access to the regulated profession of Architect/Landscape Architect according to Directive 2005/36/EC of the European Parliament and Council on the recognition of professional qualifications.

Structure and content of the study programme:

  • In the study program Architectural Creation, the profile courses have a specific character, particularly in the case of education in studios. As for the credit value, education in studios is the most important segment of the study program, due to its content, the character of procedures, the complexity of outcomes, and time requirements. Among the compulsory specialized subjects of the study program, the courses on construction and technologies are key for their extensity and content (Basics in Research and Experimental Work, and Construction Realization, including Diploma Seminar on Construction). Further, there is the key historiographical and theoretical course Interpretation Framework of Late-Modern and Contemporary Architecture that prepares students in the area of art history, theory, critics, and interpretation of contemporary architecture and urbanism. The Studio Course and the key construction and technology courses (Basics in Research and Experimental Work, and Construction Realization, including Diploma Seminar on Construction), and the theoretical course (Interpretation Framework of Late-Modern and Contemporary Architecture) represent the compulsory basis for each student of the study program Architectural Creation. The study of Architectural Creation is completed with the defense of a diploma thesis and the state examination from the course Interpretation Framework of Late-Modern and Contemporary Architecture. Detailed information is in the document below: Study Plan.
  • The study program Architectural Creation is completed by a group of compulsory optional courses,divided into specialized practical and theoretical ones. These courses offer the basis of specialization, and at the same time, they deepen the interdisciplinary character of education in arts. There are also courses aiming to improve student´s language skills in the field of contemporary art and architecture and in the field of copyright law, marketing, and project and grant activities. These courses are planned in blocks and in the form of workshops with up-to-date information and knowledge based on practical experience.
  • Additional to the compulsory basis and the compulsory optional courses, there are optional courses for the students to acquire experience in other study programs in AFAD, such as visual arts, design, and restoration. In this group, there is also a course allowing the students to apply for an external internship. In the forms of workshops, courses, excursions, or short-term education, particular optional courses dynamically react to current issues in architecture and urbanism, by inviting renowned professionals or through the internationalization of the school in cooperation with foreign pedagogues and professionals.
  • Part of the education in the Architectural Creation study program is the possibility of a work placement and a professional workshop, where students gain practical experience and skills. At the same time, the internship is an opportunity to acquire new professional contacts and ties related to Applicability after graduation. At the same time, foreign mobility is supported for students in the form of internships at foreign partner schools, where they gain insight and experience with educational systems in a different cultural and social environment. Here they also present the procedures and results of their own architectural and urban creation in an international context.
  • As part of the wider educational process, master's degree students are also integrated into ongoing artistic and architectural research projects at AFAD in the form of evaluation of their outputs in teaching or through exhibition, publication and other presentation activities, which is also supported by grant systems (especially KEGA - Cultural and the educational grant agency MŠVVaŠ SR) and in the form of a presentation of creative - artistic and architectural activity (especially SAC - Slovak arts council (FPU) and the grant program of the Tatrabank Foundation).

 

The main pedagogue responsible for the study programme:

Person responsible for the delivery, development, and quality of the study programme:

Other pedagogues providing the study programme:

Outputs of the creative activity of the study program

Study advisors of the study programme:

Student representatives who represent the interests of study program students:

 

Description of the study programme:

Study plan of the study programme:

Subject information sheets of the study programme:

Link to the Slovak Chamber of Architects

 

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Field of study Art and Culture Sciences

 

 

History and Praxis of the Contemporary Art

 

Graduate profile and learning objectives:

  • The two-year full-time master's programme responds to the dynamic changes and new global challenges facing contemporary art in the 21st century. We perceive contemporary art from a historical perspective with regard to the discontinuity of the history of art in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as from the point of view of current methodologies. Our goal is to stimulate the exploration of art in dialogue with new media theory, critical theory, geopolitics, anthropology. The study responds to the stimuli brought by the creation and transformation of art institutions - galleries, museums and the art market, and the related demand for educated and well-informed experts. At the same time, we fill gaps in the gaps of higher education in this area and aim to train graduates prepared for the practice of contemporary art, design and architecture. The programme enables students to develop a profile that results from the specific environment and variety of studio practice at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava. In addition to thematically focused courses on interpretation strategies in the field of contemporary visual art, design and architecture, issues of Slovak visual art, seminars in the field of
    aesthetics and philosophy, we offer the possibility of gaining practical experience in the field of curating, reviewing and reflecting on contemporary art. The programme is intended for those students of humanities who wish to deepen their theoretical and practical skills in broad-spectrum work with contemporary art. We emphasize critical thinking, communication skills in working with the public, improvement of verbal and written expression, empathy, sensitivity and passion for art as a tool for social change. The courses are conducted under the guidance of renowned experts, in a creative environment alongside artists active on the local and international scene. With regard to the personal profile of graduates, we offer a wide range of optional subjects, which are provided not only by teachers of the Department of Theory and History of Art, but also by external experts from practice. In addition, students have the opportunity to choose studio practice at the department that corresponds to their professional focus, or they can choose a subject at one of the related faculties (FF VŠMU, FiF UK). The first year of the master's degree is devoted to orientation in the interpretive contexts of
    contemporary art, design and architecture, thematic and problematic areas of fine art in Slovakia, art criticism and theory, and curatorial studies. In the second year of study, practice-oriented subjects predominate, and students have the opportunity to choose a composition of courses in such a way as to direct them to resolving an individual thesis assignment.
  • Graduates of the study programme are led to critical attitudes towards social issues of contemporary culture. With their civic attitude, they actively contribute to the protection of cultural heritage and the environment not only for themselves, but also for future generations. Graduates understand the idea of citizenship, democracy, social justice, foreign cultures, the rights of other persons, different cultural needs and values. In connection with this, they are ready to explore and deepen their knowledge of the chosen field of art on which they focus. They can critically perceive the functioning of cultural institutions, self-governments and the state. Graduates can analyze the causes and consequences of regional and global problems. The specific contribution of graduates of the AFAD is connecting the theory and history of art to practical cooperation within the framework of education in the fields of fine arts. This establishment of cooperation together with a theoretical and historical perspective leads graduates to deepen the critical reflection of visual aspects of public and media space. Graduates can independently evaluate the role of art in the media and in society, including internet platforms and social networks. They know how to responsibly and on the basis of their qualifications co-create this environment in accordance with relevant international obligations and national legislation.

Applicability:

  • Graduates of the study programme are prepared to work in institutions whose focus is the presentation of contemporary visual culture and art - galleries, museums and the art market at the national, regional, non-governmental and private levels. The programme trains graduates prepared for the exhibition practice of contemporary art, design and architecture, and at the same time enables graduates to specialise, which results from the specific environment and variety of studio practice at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava. The acquired qualification enables graduates to apply in professions such as curator, mediator, organiser, editor, teacher or researcher in the field.

Structure and content of the study programme:

  • In the History and Praxis of Contemporary Art study programme, profile subjects are focused on three basic profile areas: 1) critical evaluation of scientific and professional text; 2) interpretation and analysis of a selected work of contemporary art; 3) knowledge of museum critical theory and curatorial strategies together with the history and practice of gallery work. Therefore, the professional content of the programme consists of one three-semester subject and two two-semester subjects, the profiling of which directs students to the realisation of a diploma thesis and the successful passing of the state exam. Profile subjects are: 1) Criticism and theory of modern and contemporary art I., II.; 2) Interpretation frameworks of contemporary art I., II.. III.; 3) Curatorial studies I., II.. The aim and content of the named profile subjects is to guarantee students' access to current knowledge in the field of history and theory of modern and contemporary art, theory of visual culture and curatorship. Profile subjects lead future graduates to acquire skills in critical analysis and interpretation of  images in the field of visual culture. Equally important is mastering the skills of critical reading, creative writing, and the presentation of their own opinions in a group discussion, which together lead to the competence of working with the public in the preparation of cultural events and the creative implementation of exhibition projects. These knowledge and skills are synthetically combined into the competencies of
    independent creative and critical work in the field of visual art and in the environment of cultural institutions focused on visual art. To the three profile subjects mentioned above, the curricula of which ensure the content of state exam questions, are added subjects focused on the Interpretation frameworks of late modern and contemporary architectureI, II, III., Interpretation and forms of contemporary design I., II, III. as well as Studio practice I., II., III. The aim of the Studio Practice is to connect theoretical knowledge with the practical experience in the preparation and realisation of cultural events, in direct contact with the art studios of the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava. At the same time, the subject Studio practice gives the opportunity to carry out an internship at another artistic or cultural institution focused on the presentation of visual arts. The studio practice is a professional practice, and therefore gives the students of the programme the opportunity to enter into an intensive dialogue with a freely chosen studio, its teachers and students, to participate in their artistic, research and presentation activities in close connection to their own profiling and
    subsequently also the selection and working on a topic of their diploma thesis. Compulsory subjects are
    complemented by the compulsory subjects dealing with issues and the history of the studied discipline: Gallery practice in contemporary art and design, Issues of Slovak visual arts I., II. (with emphasis on art of the 20th and 21st centuries) and Diploma Seminar I., II. which is focused on a specific profiled topic of the 20th and 21st centuries) and Diploma Seminar I., II. which is focused on a specific profiled topic and methodology of the students' thesis. The diploma thesis is chosen on the basis of communication with the teachers of the Department of Theory and History of Art, who choose the topics based on their own research projects and professional profiling (see responsible teachers). The diploma thesis must meet the norms, standards and criteria valid for humanities departments of universities.
  • See more detailed information in the document Study plan below..
  • The History and Praxis of Contemporary Art study programme is complemented by the compulsory subjects which provide an expansion of knowledge in narrowly and specifically focused areas of applied art (Applied Art in Text and Context), fine arts (Selected chapters from contemporary photography), architecture (History of architectural theories and criticism), restoration (Interpretive frameworks of restoration work), collecting (Chapters of the history of collecting), as well as theoretical frameworks in relation to specific philosophical topics (French philosophy of the last decades), culture (Philosophy of culture) and aesthetics (Schools of aesthetic thought). One of the subjects also focuses on working with text, argumentative and conceptual thinking expressed verbally or in writing (Reading, writing, argumentation). The existing curriculum is complemented by subjects focused on practical experience in the field of cultural and managerial work (Cultural Management I, II). The content also includes a subject improving foreign language knowledge (English  conversation).
  • A complementary group of a compulsory basics and compulsory optional subjects are optional subjects, through which students have the opportunity to transfer to other study programmes at the AFAD (Fundamentals of painting, Fundamentals of photography, Fundamentals of design, Design and build - fundamentals of architectural creation, etc.). These subjects provide students with contact with practical creation and strategies of artistic thinking and research. This group also includes a subject enabling direct practice in an external environment aimed at a wider field of cultural professions. Optional subjects are enriched by a number of subjects that, through workshops, courses, excursions and short-term education, dynamically respond to current topics and also lead to practical application, as well as orientation in the legal and economic components of culture (Implementation of a curatorial project, Copyright law).
  • Part of the education in the History and Praxis of Contemporary Art study programme is the possibility of an internship and supplementary internship in the local and foreign scene, which within the framework of education bring students direct contact with a professional environment in which they acquire practical experience and skills. The internship is also an opportunity for students to gain new professional contacts and connections, as well as theoretical experience with benefits after graduation. At the same time, foreign mobility in the form of internships at foreign partner schools is encouraged, where they are positively confronted with educational experiences in a different cultural and social environment. Here they also confront their work in the international field and have the opportunity to become part of international artistic and cultural networks.
  • As part of the wider educational process, master's students are integrated into ongoing research projects at the AFAD in the form of direct application to education or through publication and other presentation activities, which are also supported by grant systems (especially KEGA - Cultural and Educational Grant Agency of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic).

 

The main pedagogue responsible for the study programme:

Person responsible for the delivery, development, and quality of the study programme:

Other pedagogues providing the study programme:

Outputs of the creative activity of the study program

Study advisor of the study programme:

Student representatives who represent the interests of study program students:

 

Description of the study programme:

Study plan of the study programme:

Subject information sheets of the study programme:

 

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You can find the study plans of individual study fields in the Handbook – Bedeker.

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Bedeker for study planning 2022/2023PDF, 1.35 MB