School

Social and cultural upheavals, structural changes in the economy, technical and scientific developments and environmental issues have all resulted in a radical transformation in the challenges faced by, but also the possibilities offered by the production of art and design. Art and design contribute to the development of our civilization. Through their creative and graphic processes, art and design can take an active part in influencing and changing our social environment and the complex forms of communication it uses. In order to do justice to these overarching challenges, the Berlin Weissensee School of Art develops integrative ways of working which are oriented towards these complex intellectual challenges and which transcend the boundaries between disciplines.

One of the unique and defining features of the Berlin Weissensee School of Art is the fact that all students attend a one-year interdisciplinary art foundation course together. This foundation course is principally oriented towards the perception and visualisation of humans and their environment.

A further special feature is the range of intensive academic courses running the entire duration of degree courses for all students. In the second stage of each course, students must explore an academic question, and document this process in the form of an academic thesis. This focus on the teaching of theory aims to promote the many and varied opportunities offered by academic investigations by imparting skills in cultural theory, aesthetics, art history and media history, as well as by nurturing students’ communicative abilities.

The Berlin Weissensee School of Art is also distinguished by its fully equipped workshop studios, which are open to students of all disciplines, and which offer students an opportunity to explore their ideas in practice. The workshops also function as an additional arena for the exchange of ideas among students of various disciplines.

The specific conditions at the Berlin Weissensee School of Art create an ideal basis for interdisciplinary work.

The Berlin Weissensee School of Art offers a special Master Class Programme. Students who complete their course within the regularly allotted time and graduate with a grade up “very good” have the opportunity to complete a Master Class year under the supervision of a professor. Master Class students remain at the School during this year, which culminates with the presentation of a Master Class assignment. The programme is open to students from all disciplines.

Prof. Gerhard Strehl, Rector