2006-2011

Det Fynske Kunstakademi – The Funen Academy of Fine Arts

Facts
Funen Art Academy is a higher education in visual art. Over 5 years, the student is educated to undertake a career as a professional artist. This education is entitled to receive SU (i.e. a study grant from the Danish State Education Grant and Loan Scheme), and it is a nationally recognized art education that is giving the candidates the same opportunities in relation to the art establishment as an education at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts.

Funen Art Academy is an independent institution with a annual budget of around 2.7 million DKK, and it is possible to boost this income through outside funds. Institutional grants are provided by Odense District Council, The County of Funen and the Danish State. The District Council grant amounts to 1.39 million DKK as well as free house rent, electricity and heating, the County Council grant is 0.4 million DKK and the Danish State grant is 0.9 million DKK. . House rent, electricity and heating amounts to about 1.3 million DKK. In 2007, the State takes on the County Council grant of about 0.4 million DKK. From 2007, the State grant will thus constitute 1.2 million DDK of the total grants.

Funen Art Academy has at its disposal more than 2000 m2 (21528 foot2) and about 60 students divided over 5 study years.

The Academy has eight permanent employees. There is a secretary with about 85% employment, an accountant who is employed 65% from 2006, and a caretaker who is employed about 45% of a full-time employment. There are three teachers (fixed-term employees) in 40% positions and a teacher of Art Theory and Art History with about 20% employment. The principal is in a 60% position.

Funen Art Academy is housed in the same building as Kunsthallen Brandts Klædefabrik in Odense. No house rent is paid because the building is owned by the District Council, which is thus supplementing the District Council grant with an undisclosed amount. In 2005, Funen Art Academy lost about 500 square metres, which is about 1/5 of the total area that previously had been 2500m2 in all. On this occasion, the Academy lost two test exhibition rooms for the students, a sound studio, a graphic and serigraphic workshop, a photo laboratory plus some storage space. Before 2004, the Academy had been dispossessed of its public exhibition room, the former “Huggergaard”, which was sited in the Brandts Klædefabrik complex facing the square in front of Brandts (including the 500m2). When our space was reduced, an agreement was made with Fyns Grafiske Værksted about the use of their graphic machines. Also, our machines were donated to Fyns Grafiske Værksted. Hollufgaard has the facilities to work in stone and casting materials, which are made available for Funen Art Academy . There is access to a sound studio at Musikbiblioteket (the music library), and it is possible to get access to a photo laboratory at Badstuen (the local Arts centre). These alternatives that may be borrowed are to some extent compensating for the lost square metres.

Introduction

The idea behind this new Plan of Action is to set up a development programme for Funen Art Academy for the next 5 years. This is done by establishing and implementing a new study structure that satisfies the current needs, and which turns the art education at Funen Art Academy into something attractive and something that is chosen because of what the Academy represents. The new study structure is to help give Funen Art Academy an international profile in order to attract qualified and ambitious Danish and foreign students and thus consolidate Funen Art Academy as an internationally recognized art education.

In working on this new study structure we still have to consider the present conditions with limited resources and physical space, which are presently at a minimum in relation to the definition as a further education. Because of this, we intend to work strategically towards an increased income and thus an optimization of the professional, administrative and technical resources and premises. The basis and line of reasoning for the increased income is a strong professional profile and the establishment of relations of collaboration at local, national and international levels. These initiatives are possible to initiate based on the present professional and financial resources.

So with the aim of reaching an internationally recognized level, the plan of action 2006-2011 will focus on developing our education and how it is taught and on establishing relations of collaboration in order to participate in interesting, professional dialogues, besides a higher income that will follow the professional programme and future objectives of the school.

The new study structure reflects the possibilities the place are giving us. It is important not to allow the physical framework to set limits, which is why the targeted art practices should fit into the physical realities at the Academy.

Target Areas

The new study structure

The first target area is the implementation of the new study structure with the objective of working with and exploring new teaching practices in the visual art field and professionally elevate Funen Art Academy to an international level. The new study structure has been prepared late in 2005 by the principal together with the permanent employees and the students. The new study structure is stressing individual guidance, workshop-based teaching and Art Theory as basic elements.

In this new study structure, a model is introduced that is called the horizontal model. The horizontal model is based on the teaching structure of the German art school Bauhaus, which existed in the 20th century during the inter-war period. This structure is widened in relation to what we demand from an artist/art education today. The horizontal model implies grade-divided teaching and a progressive teaching schedule from the beginning to the end of the education.

The new study structure is based on the existing flat structure of the Academy and the dissolution of art subject departments, which Søren Jensen, the former principal, implemented. Instead of departments, the subject areas are represented by the permanent teachers who are called subject advisers or instructors. The study structure is open and basically composed of modules, which is why the modules may also be changed. The study structure is defined as a development project since it has to be constantly possible to make adjustments and changes within each module.

The horizontal model

The horizontal model is a type of teaching and educational strategy for art education that satisfies the contemporary art practice and what the art world demands from the artist today. The art practice of today is rooted in the 1960s’ widening of the art concept when many new art forms appeared, such as Video Art, Land Art, Performance, Concept Art, Body Art, etc. – and the rethinking of the material and of sculpture, e.g. in Pop Art, Nouveau Realism, Minimalism and Social Plastic. The 1960s’ extension of the art concept was in itself influenced by the avant-garde movements in which especially Dadaism, Surrealism, Constructivism, Purism, Bauhaus and De Stijl seem relevant in relation to contemporary art practice.

The classical French academy model with vertically divided professor schools seems insufficient vis-à-vis a wider work concept since art is categorized according to specific media and thus not constituting a basis for interdisciplinary development in relation to artistic practice.

The wider work concept is to a greater extent encouraging plurality and dialogue in artistic practices, also in relation to each artist’s practice. You may have a preferred media, but it is also possible to change between various media expressions, regardless of whether you are working with considerations of form or content.

For one thing, the horizontal model aims to meet plurality in its choice of media in art practice. It is nevertheless important to maintain specialized expertise in particular art practice fields.

The horizontal model is split into levels and aiming for a forward-looking and developing form of teaching, which is to support the development in art practices and establish a joint theoretical level in art education.

The objective is to set up a 3+2 model that thus imitates the Bologna model (bachelor/master education), which is currently being implemented in institutions of higher art education in Europe.

It should be noted that we are not talking about an official Bologna model since the status of the Funen Academy of Fine Arts is as a further or first and second stage of tertiary education [acc. to UNESCO’s International Standard Classification of Education, ISCED] and not a higher education. This means that Funen Art Academy cannot call itself an official bachelor/master education, but it is allowed to say that the education is on the same level as a bachelor/master. A changed status from a further to a higher education is a process that takes years to complete, and it will initially demand a much larger grant The possibility of converting to higher education is being explored and desired as a subsidiary task.

The subject instructors

The aim is to maintain practice-oriented teaching that is not necessarily media-specific. Still, it is important to insist that specific subject aspects are represented through the subject instructors. It is the subject instructor’s duty to guide the student based on his or her own artistic field or discipline (artistic guidance) and to provide guidance in relation to the student’s overall study programme.

The teaching

Teaching is primarily performed and prepared by the subject instructors in conjunction with each student.

The subject instructors offer two workshops annually, and they are also personal instructors for each student.

Teaching is also defined as workshops run by teachers from outside the school. There are different types of workshops:

- free workshops (artistic/subject workshops)

- special workshops (technical or skilled workshops)

- mini workshops (artistic/subject workshops focusing on a particular type of work)

To the teaching of Art Practice is added the teaching of Art Theory and Art History in order to give the student the ability to reflect and acquire knowledge of the historical context. Teaching is done by the teacher specialized in Art Theory/History.

The three subject fields + Art Theory

In the period 2006-2011, Funen Art Academy is going to target three subject disciplines within art practices in relation to the overall study structure, besides Art Theory. In 2006, two new teachers are to be employed, and these subject targets are to be reflected in their art practices.

The three subject fields in art practice are:

- painting/drawing

- digital media (video, animations, possibly sounds)

- conceptually based practices

In addition, there will be a focus on Art Theory and Art History as theoretically significant disciplines for the art production of today

At the present time, these three areas seem to be realistic in relation to the restrictions imposed by the premises and the financial resources of Funen Art Academy .

Painting/drawing

Painting is a popular and modern media, which is today inspired not only by art history, but also by the visual image culture. There is considerable interest in painting, and it is interesting to work with this media’s continued development in relation to a contemporary mode of expression and content. Today drawing plays a significant role in relation to painting, which is why the area is collectively defined as painting/drawing. It is also a fact that digital media may be used in connection with painting, for instance photo processing as a preparation for the painting in which also painting benefits from the focus on digital media. Painting is an artistic field that still requires that both form and content is developed. Paintings are currently in a dynamic field in which also new painterly forms manifest themselves, e.g. in the installation. In order to differentiate itself from other painting schools in Denmark, Funen Art Academy is primarily focusing on new international trends connected with painting.

Digital media

The term digital media refers to videos (digital recording and processing), animations and possibly sounds. Video Art is a widespread media in contemporary art, and it is an obvious choice for Funen Art Academy . Focus is on digitally recorded video art, which is the way most artists are working with video art. In addition to Video Art, the digital media field may be expanded with teaching of animations and sounds (animation and sound art are relatively new media). In general, this is going to require extensive technical facilities, and fundraising will be initiated with regards to a target that includes animations and sounds. It is the intention to work on the construction of a digital workshop that satisfies the demands of today. Given the fact that technical equipment is constantly developed, there is a need to update this equipment frequently. Since it is at the same time becoming cheaper to acquire good machines, it is possible as well as necessary to optimize our workshop facilities. In the spring of 2006, this work is starting.

Conceptually defined practices

In the last few years, Danish art has had great international success in conceptually defined practices. This is the most recent art form, which still has to be seen as experimental art. Apart from exploring art, this field looks into the usage and definition of art today.

Conceptually defined practices refer to art that is idea-based to start with and in which form follows content (or part of the content). Conceptually defined practices do not necessarily require special workshop facilities, which is why it is a good choice with regard to the available space. This is moreover a continuation of our emphasis on Art Theory, which is also one of the profile areas of the school since idea-based practice is also often using Art Theory as its starting point or material. As it is the case with painting, the digital media are also significant in relation to this field.

Art Theory and Art History

There is a general focus on the teaching of Art Theory and Art History, primarily on strategies and practices in 20th century art. Art Theory is based on recent theories in the art sphere with emphasis on the period from around 1960 till today. The teaching of Art Theory is thus related to the three subject fields in art practice. Art History provides the students with a general introduction to movements in Art History ranging from Antiquity to contemporary art practice. Emphasis is on the period after 1900.

New initiatives

In addition to the redefinition of the subject areas, there will in connection with the new study structure also be new initiatives that are part of the training at Funen Art Academy . These new initiatives, which play an important part in our teaching, may also help to promote the Academy locally as well as internationally, and they are a part of the process of turning Funen Art Academy into a recognized international art education.

Exhibition site

It is important for our new study structure that it is possible to exhibit, and an exhibition room is therefore to be established. The exhibition room is made at the school with an exit to the staircase, which means that it is publicly accessible. In order to make the exhibition room active in relation to their lectures, the teachers will participate in the coordination and possible organisation of exhibitions together with the students. The exhibition room might also be used for collective projects and in connection with workshops.

Public student exhibitions

The Student Exhibition and Graduation Exhibition have always been public occasions. This fact has just not been sufficiently noted locally, which is why we now wish to promote the Student Exhibition (as well as the Graduation Exhibition) even more. In addition to the exhibition room in the school, we find it important to arrange the Graduation Exhibition (first of all) and the Student Exhibition outside the school.

Summer workshop

From the summer 2006, a summer workshop is established for the third-year students. The summer workshop will take place somewhere near the outskirts of Europe. In the long term, we are trying to encourage foreign academies to participate in our summer workshop. The summer workshop is replacing the Carrarra scholarships. The establishment of the summer workshop instead of Carrarra is done because of the subjects we are targeting. Since it is impossible within the school organisation to work with masonry, which is the objective of the Carrarra stay, it seems unfair to keep this possibility as a professional study abroad when there is no way to follow up on this practice. The establishment of the summer workshop should be able to satisfy the subject lines we are working with. Furthermore, it will provide more students with an opportunity to study abroad, which seems to be important to everybody. Participation in the workshop is voluntary, but most or all the students’ expenses will be covered.

Hands-on training

In order to increase the students’ international opportunities as professionally working artists after finishing their education, a 3-6 months practical stay is introduce in the second half of the 4th year. The hands-on training is supposed to start in the spring of 2007 as a pilot scheme. The idea is to attach several international artists to a type of mentor network that may take in the roughly ten students in the 4th year in a hands-on training period for 3 to 6 months. Each student is to be attached to an artist living in another country or in Denmark, and he or she is to function as an assistant to this artist during this period. Such a hands-on training will to some extent be professionally important for each student, and it will at the same time give each student an opportunity to establish a network with artists in other countries.

International Advisory Board

It is our intention to establish an International Advisory Board consisting of international artists, art curators and others. The aim with such an advisory panel is to seek advice and guidance in international issues so the Academy is in a much better position to act internationally.

Admission

At the moment, averagely 15 students are admitted every year. In order to make sure that the admitted students are truly motivated and thus prevent their withdrawal, the admission terms are made more difficult, and, in the summer 2006, a personal interview is introduced after the artistic evaluation of the admission test.

Relations of collaboration

Our second primary target is to establish relations of collaboration in Denmark and in other countries. The basic idea is that good relations of collaboration, apart from being professionally enriching, may optimize our resources because several institutions are pooling funds and resources. Collaboration with others may also serve as an inspiration and generate growth and give better PR both within and outside the institution.

Local collaboration

The local collaboration is to be emphasized. It is important that Funen Art Academy participates in generating growth on the local art and culture scene, and the intention is to turn Funen Art Academy into a significant player in the cultural strategy of Odense. This is best done in collaboration with others since working with other institutions facilitates the realization of both art and arrangements that Funen Art Academy cannot implement on its own. This may encompass everything from collaboration about (joint) workshop facilities, seminars, exhibitions, etc.

We are right now cooperating with the Centre for Art and Science at the University of Southern Denmark and the artist workshop at Hollufgaard.

Funen Art Academy is seeing obvious prospects in working with places such as:

- The University of Southern Denmark

- Art institutions in Odense: Kunsthallen Brandts, Fyns Kunstmuseum

- Smaller independent institutions: Graphic workshop, Hollufgaard, etc.

- others

It has not been put into words what this collaboration is to focus on since the first step is to start a dialogue.

National collaboration

The national collaboration may move into several different directions. It may involve working with other art academies, museums and exhibition sites in Denmark as well as universities, independent organisations and others.

We want to establish a kind of collaboration between the three Danish art academies or at any rate to initiate a dialogue between the art academies. At this time, we have an exchange agreement with the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts where students may be exchanged for one year.

Interdisciplinary collaboration with other educational institutions is another possibility.

International collaboration

It is important to work on collaborative projects in an international framework since we want to establish and promote our school as en international education. In addition to the fact that Funen Art Academy is going to have several foreign workshop teachers in the coming years, we also want to start collaborating with foreign art academies. We may also work together with various art institutions.

Collaboration with other art academies may have different characteristics. It might involve:

- formal exchange agreements

- project collaboration

- summer workshops

- something else

Working together is as always a living process and not possible to define in advance. It is important to establish a network in order to set up international collaboration. This is done via activities within and outside the school: Seminars, lectures, guest teachers, study trips, etc. besides international advertisements for admission into the Academy and its programme.

From 2006, Funen Art Academy is also going to be a member of a European association of art academies called ELIA.

Conclusion

Funen Art Academy is working on the implementation of the new study scheme and the new initiatives along with improvements of practical facilities during the period 2006-2011. In this connection, Funen Art Academy wish to cooperate with the District Council, the State and the new Region, which is to be established in 2007 when the County Council is dissolved. Funen Art Academy remains open towards suggested changes and solutions to such issues as our space problems and changes in our budget.

Although it is no immediate problem that Funen Art Academy has status as a further education, we do ultimately wish to become a higher education just as it is now happening with other “vocational schools” in Denmark, such as the Royal School of Library and Information Science, Danmarks Designskole and others, which now have or are about to acquire status as a higher education. In relation to art academies in other countries, it will be beneficial for the students if a comparable bachelor/master structure is introduced.




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