The Student Room Group

some notes on studying fine art in germany

This post is just me sharing what i've learned about art school here for any of you who may be considering pursuing your study of fine art in germany/europe or doing a study abroad program here.

In general, art schools over here, at least the more renowned ones, seem to
be very loose in structure. The required course of study is usually 5 years after
which students have the freedom to stay on until they are ready to leave. They
don't seem to be as heavy on academic requirements as some US schools though
they do exist (usually a range of philosophy, art theory/history and psychology).
After their first year, students typically join the classes of one (or sometimes two)
professors in which they study for the rest of their time there. These classes aren't
really classes perse where there are material is taught and assignments are set, rather
they tend to function as a series of moderated group discussions of varying frequency
i.e students spend most of their time working independently in their studios and every two
to four weeks their professor comes in for a group critique session where students can
talk about their work and get feed back. The classes where information is regularly
administered and assignments given are generally referred to as seminars but these
more often than not occur in German. (NB that many of the professors at the staedelschule and the kunstakademie are not german so their classes are taught in english, whereas the seminars almost always occur in german)

In my usual style the two best schools for fine art in germany are generally considered
to be:

The HFBK Staedelschule (frankfurt): They have a slightly more conceptual bent and their students tend to do pretty well in video, photography and installation. Notable professors include Wolfgang Tillmans, Simon Starling, Daniel Birnbaum, Per Kirkeby, Jason Rhoades,

The Kunstakademie Düsseldorf : generally a little less preoccupied with a conceptualist approach than the staedelschule though there is certainly enough of it to be found if you're looking for it. Generally considered more of a school for painting and sculpture, though there is a lot of everything else (particularly installation work). Notable professors include Andreas Gursky, Thomas Ruff, Albert Oehlen, Peter Doig, Tal R, Eberhard Havekost, Joseph Beuys, Richard Deacon etc etc. Pretty much all of the professors here are very accomplished artists coming from wide ranging backgrounds and practices. I can also say from experience that they've got pretty great facilities.

There's also the The HGB Leipzig: They've only recently come into the spotlight since the explosion of the Leipzig School in painting (Neo Rauch and posse). Traditionally they were considered more of a school for graphic arts and design but are making ways into fine art territory.

As well as the UDK Berlin which is a little more structured and not typically considered one of the best though they have a share of famous faculty and a decent amount of money. The most important thing about them is that they are in Berlin which is definitely a plus for anyone interested in art.

What's good about studying in germany?

1 The tuition is dirt cheap. For example the tuition fee at the Kunstakademie is like
250€ a semester.

2 The German State and public generally seem to be more interested in art than most and it's resources are less centralized than others. Pretty much once you're in a major city you can be sure that there will be a few art museums nearby (Düsseldorf has no less than four), some good exhibitions passing through, innumerable exhibition spaces and various competitions/funding opportunities floating about.

3 The structure of these schools is such that it allows students to develop personal relationships with their professors who are all practicing and, in many cases, quite accomplished artists as opposed to being taught by artists fresh out of an mfa program with little to no art world experience. It also tends to be the case that these relationships can be quite beneficial professionally for some students.

4 the general system of education affords a lot more freedom to students in terms of how they work and the kind of work they do.

What's Bad about studying in Germany

1 The big cities in the west of Germany like Düsseldorf aren't exactly cheap to live in though by no means unaffordable

2 The lack of structure, specifically at the staedelschule and the kunstakademie, can be a big issue for some. After the first year there is virtually no pressure on students to make work in any particular time frame. While this is great for independent motivated students a lot of people get lost. As a general rule, I've noticed that the people at the kunstakademie tend to be well past average college age when they start. they're usually early to mid twenties, so perhaps a little more focused.

3 The language barrier. While you will find that most people under forty five, in big cities speak English it is still their second language. You may find it difficult to keep up in large social gatherings and even more difficult to discuss slightly more complicated things like your personal philosophies and views on art etc

Feel free to ask questions
Reply 1
Hi stantontaylor,

Thanks for this. This is quite an old post, but maybe you're still checking this forum.

I have a question about the HFBK Staedelschule in Frankfurt.

How hard is to get accepted?

How old and what's the level of the accepted students?


best,

F.
Original post by frafra91
Hi stantontaylor,

Thanks for this. This is quite an old post, but maybe you're still checking this forum.

I have a question about the HFBK Staedelschule in Frankfurt.

How hard is to get accepted?

How old and what's the level of the accepted students?


best,

F.
I'm afraid OP hasn't been online for three years, so is unlikely to respond. I suggest starting a new thread. You may get a response in the international lounge also.
Reply 3
thanks

Quick Reply

Latest