Call for applications 2023: MFA at Umeå Academy of Fine Arts

Programs
Umeå Academy of Fine Arts offers a two-year international Master’s degree taught in English, as well as a three-year Bachelor’s program taught in English and Swedish. Since 2000, the school has conducted artistic research, and it now provides a postdoctoral program. The programs emphasize artistic practice in a professional setting with international faculty. Critical discourse on artistic practice, production and presentation conditions, and an emphasis on analysis and self-reflection all contribute to a better understanding of contemporary art in its larger cultural, social, and political context. International guest artists, curators, and critics work alongside academics to engage students in contemporary art practice. The programs include individually supervised work, lectures, seminars, group tutorials, and solo and group exhibitions. All students have access to well-equipped labs and studios for photo, video, sound, 3D-printing, printmaking, as well as state-of-the-art workshops for wood, metal, plaster, bronze, clay, and ceramics. Each student has their own studio area within the new academy’s cutting-edge modern architecture, which was built in 2012.

MFA programme
The MFA program provides several chances for students to explore their practice over the course of two years, including group critiques and individual studio talks with international art critics, curators, and artists. Study trips are required as part of the curriculum (e.g. Venice Biennale, Documenta, Athens Biennial, Frieze art fair). To finish the MFA program, students collaborate on a final graduation group show that will be shown at the globally renowned Bildmuseet. A catalogue is available to accompany the exhibition. Annika Eriksson and Kristina Buch, both artists, coordinate the MFA program.

Faculty
The Umeå Academy of Fine Arts faculty consists of a team of renowned instructors with active international careers and a strong interest in cross-disciplinary debate, research, and modes of artistic production. Current residing and visiting faculty: 
Per Nilsson, Annika Eriksson, Kristina Buch, Micael Norberg, Edith Marie Pasquier, Gerd Aurell, Henrik Jonsson, Johannes Samuelsson, Tryggve Lundberg, Daniel Westman, Emily Fahlén, Simon Gran-Danielsson, Lisa Nyberg.

Recent visiting artists and curators
Magnus af Petersens, Jan Verwoert, Runo Lagomarsino, Hanni Kamali, Katerina Gregos, Egija Inzule, Emily Fahlen, Asrin Haidari, Imri Sandström, Lina Selander, Stefanie Hessler, Vibeke Jensen, Annika Ström, Karl Larsson, Hanne Lippard, Jennifer Chan, Dehlia Hanna, Nadim Samman, Olav Westphalen, Diana Kaur, Billy Davis, Henrik Hakansson, Annika Larsson, Reynold Reynolds, Alice Maselnikova, Gean Moreno, Dennis Dahlqvist, Bettina Allamoda, Tris Vonna-Michell, Verena Dengler, Maria Anwander, Ruben Aubrecht, Mari Bastashevski, Annika Eriksson, Jakob Lillemose, Jonas Lund, Alexander Peroutka, Swetlana HegerDavis, Edit Molnar, Bettina Steinbrügge, Saara Hacklin, Fatima Hellberg, Eli Skatvedt, Adrian Notz, Lisette Smits, Florian Zeyfang, Anneé Olofsson, Samuel Gross, Monica Salazar, Anna Russ, Karen Geyer, Kalen Wing Lee, Milena Dragicevic, Lisa Torell, Marianne Zamecznik, Fikret Atay, Filipa Ramos, Jumana Emil Abboud.

Exchange and international residencies
Umeå Academy of Fine Arts participates in an international exchange with 17 art academies from the Nordic Fine Arts network KUNO, as well as many other international educational institutes through the Erasmus system. In addition, the academy works closely with the IASPIS artist-in-residence programs in Ume and Stockholm.

Tuition: Students from the EU member countries pay no tuition.

Application: Artists/students from all backgrounds interested in innovative artistic practice and research are encouraged to apply. Application deadline: March 1, 2023, 12am.