Fine Art prepares you for a career as an independent visual artist. Artistry is multifaceted and demanding: it requires critical thinking, autonomy and the ability to make connections between disciplines, media and social contexts. As an artist, you will move in a variety of environments – from museums and galleries to theatre, education and public spaces – and develop a broad professional practice.
At the AKI, your personal development is central. You will be guided by teacher-artists with their own practices, who will challenge you to make informed choices and explore your position in the contemporary art field. Based on two starting points – Painting and All Space & Sculpture – you will develop your own visual language and explore the possibilities of different media, from traditional techniques to new digital and interactive forms.
Study structure
General programme
• Studio practice and individual supervision
• ArtLabs and practical research
• Art theory and philosophy
• Technical skills (materials and working methods)
• Preparation for professional practice: portfolio, website, project planning, documentation
• Reflection: work discussions, writing and presenting
During the programme, you will be encouraged to think critically and independently, explore your own position and develop your artistic voice. Fine Art at the AKI offers a supportive, exploratory environment in which you can experiment, fail and grow as an artist.
Practice and ArtLabs At the AKI, you will actively work in the workshops, where you will explore materials and techniques and develop your own projects. The ArtLabs offer in-depth study and introduce areas of work that are relevant to contemporary art discourse but are not always included in the regular curriculum. They support you in making choices, broadening your palette and strengthening your research skills.
Foundation year (year 1) The first year is an orientation year in which you become familiar with various disciplines: painting, drawing, photography, graphic art, spatial work and new media. You will study art theory and philosophy and learn academic skills such as analysis and writing. At the end of the year, you will choose a starting point: Painting (focus on the flat surface) or All Space & Sculpture (exploration of space and sculpture).
Main phase (years 2–4) In the main phase, you will work on developing your personal visual language and exploring your position as an artist.
• Year 2: Experimentation, research and formulating your own questions. You will work in small groups and be supervised by at least three lecturers. Semester assessments test practice, ArtLabs and technical skills.
• Year 3: Further deepening of your field of expertise, independence and the development of your own practical programme. Opportunities for international exchange, internships or your own projects.
• Year 4: Graduation. You present your final exam work in a portfolio and exhibition, and write a supervised theoretical research paper. The programme prepares you for professional practice and networking with collectors, gallery owners and exhibition makers.
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Admission You can register for an entrance examination and enrol for a course in StudieLink, the registration database for universities and universities of applied sciences. Would you like to know more about how our entrance examination works? What other procedures are involved? Then go to our special Admission page.
