In 2010 the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna has launched a doctoral program for research in artistic practice. The PhD in Practice program is intended to give participants an opportunity to realize their individual research projects in a cooperative environment with a decidedly transdisciplinary and international bent.
Phd in Practice Presentation, 54th Venice Bienniale 2011, Foto: A. Thal
The Program
In societies increasingly based on economies and politics of “knowledge,” it is crucial for contemporary visual artists to discuss and transform their own respective positions as producers, agents, designers, archivists, and conveyors of “knowledge.” The PhD in Practice program of the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna is currently coordinated by Renate Lorenz and Anette Baldauf. It focuses on the consequences of the shifting social, political, economic and epistemic status of art and artists by allowing artists in knowledge-based societies to engage in research into these issues. A deliberate emphasis on the epistemological and methodological foundations of the visual arts, its practitioners, and its audiences is a distinguishing feature of the PhD in Practice program.
The PhD in Practice program is designed for a duration of four years (240 ECTS credits). During this time the participants will develop and implement their projects analytically and experimentally in coordination with the academic and artistic team of co-participants and faculty. Transdisciplinary modes of working in artistic production will be fostered. Importantly, the ability to write texts, and to conceive, organize, document, and carry out independent research will be developed by supporting program participants in a networked, international and transdisciplinary environment (The Center for Art/Knowledge/CAK).
The PhD in Practice course work is structured around four focus weeks during each term. This “low residency” scheme shall enable participants to take part and pursue their project without having to move permanently to Vienna (as much as this should be seen as an option). During these focus weeks the participants and the PhD in Practice team meet for tutorials, seminars, lectures, workshops, trips and other research and learning events. The seminars and lectures are open, to a limited extent, depending on the course’s character, to other students of the Academy, primarily doctoral candidates.
The PhD in Practice participants have access to the facilities and resources of the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna and to the institutions and people that form the broader and expanding network of the Center for Art/Knowledge and the future Doctoral School of the Academy. Participants will be given the means to pursue and develop dissertation work resulting in an artistic project displaying a strong emphasis on methodological reflexivity and documentation. Moreover, participants are expected to take an active part in organizing the program (coordinating workshops, guest lectures, conferences, exhibitions, screenings, etc.).
Entry requirements
Requirements for admission to the PhD in Practice program are: a degree (Magister, MA or diploma) from a recognized University, and the submission of a portfolio and a written project proposal. Applicants who are already engaged in an artistic or academic career are encouraged to apply.
