Course content.
Would you like to harness artistic practices to intervene into cultural, political, social, and ecological contexts? In the Minor in "Social Art Practices", you explore how you can play a part as an artist in shaping such contexts in the analogue and digital spaces. You acquire a contemporary understanding of the social sphere, including ecological issues, and how to incorporate it into your artistic practice. You also explore recent and historic discourses around social art practices and develop an understanding of practices of artistic (field) research. In an independent project to be pursued throughout the four semesters, you engage with social groups, organizations, and institutions within the art field and beyond and develop collaborations or interventions. 

Skills acquired in the course.
Students learn
– about the discourses around social art practices in the perspectives of art history, sociology, and cultural theory and how to tie in with them in their artistic practices; 
– about the targeted use of practices of artistic (field) research to investigate social fields and processes and generate new knowledge about them; 
– how to use their dialogical skills to communicate and work with actors with different social, cultural, and disciplinary backgrounds; 
– how to plan, implement, and communicate their own projects. 

Admissions requirements.
You are very interested in social, political, and ecological issues. You are open to process-oriented artistic work and to collaborating with people with different social and cultural backgrounds. You already have initial experience in artistic project work and possess outstanding social and communicative skills as well as basic art historical and art theoretical knowledge. 

Language skills required.
You need the following languages to take this minor:
–  English: to be able to follow a discussion
–  English: to actively participate in a verbal exchange
–  English: to understand a text
–  English: to write a text

Benefits of studying at ZHdK.
The Minor in "Social Art Practices" encourages you to explore cultural, social, political, and ecological concerns from an artistic and theoretical perspective. The Minor programme is project-based. You will discuss the status of your project with others in a colloquium on a regular basis. Modules in this Minor are held in English, enabling you to improve your language skills.

Time structure.
The modules of this minor take place on Friday afternoons between 1 and 6 p.m. throughout the academic year. In calendar weeks 2, 3 and 4, as well as in calendar weeks 8, 9 and 10, the minors are taught in block weeks from Monday to Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. The exact times depend on the minor chosen.

→ More about this minor (PDF download)

Minor Coordinator

Lecturers

At ZHdK, students choose a Major. In addition to this core subject, they can choose one or two Minors to deepen or expand their major skills and knowledge across various disciplines. This wide choice of courses is unique in Europe and enables students to develop and sharpen their individual profile.