Master of Fine ArtThe study

Master of Fine Art

About the study

Study
Master of Arts in Fine Art
Mode of study
Full-time
School
Fine Art
Grade
Master of Arts
Duration
2 years
ECTS
120
Type
Master
Language
English
CROHO-code
49114
Location(s)
HKU Loods

Welcome to the Master of Fine Art

Are you a visual artist or cultural worker? Perhaps you’ve completed a Bachelor’s degree in another discipline? Are you interested in cultural work and its sociocultural context? In the Master of Fine Art, you delve more deeply into the making and perception of different artistic expressions. These cultural expressions are never neutral. Both cultural and everyday practices always arise from their own perspective, including a social perspective. And artistic expressions play a major role in how these cultural practices are experienced.

As a Master’s student of Fine Art, you’ll experiment with artistic approaches that are anchored in sociopolitical contexts. You’ll take a critical look at issues relating to how artistic expressions are perceived. Through our long-standing collaboration and partnerships with other art institutions, we offer opportunities for contact between the art academy and the art world. This close collaboration with institutional practices will give you an understanding of the professional field internationally, allowing you to position your own artistic practice in other work contexts, or further develop your own practice.

In brief

  • A two-year full-time English-taught Master's programme
  • A deeper exploration of contemporary visual art in the sociocultural domain and how it is perceived
  • Developing, recognising and communicating your own position
  • A focus on making, thinking and sharing
  • Four interrelated practices: studio, transdisciplinary, curatorial and exhibition
  • Graduating with your own work and collective work, plus a research report
  • International environment: students from 42 different countries have taken part in the programme
  • High-quality: the course was awarded with a golden medal by 'EW best studies 2022’

How do you know the Master of Fine Art is right for you?

  • The Master of Fine Art is the programme for you if:
  • You have completed a Bachelor of Fine Art or related discipline
  • You have experience in the cultural domain and you dare to look critically at the sociopolitical field of the arts
  • You like to experiment with different approaches to art and to look for relationships between things, expressions and practices through learning by doing
  • You want to develop your own artistic practice and research, in which you respond to and work with the input, collaborative methodologies and support structures from the Master’s programme
  • You want to reflect on your own practice and on society: you seek your own position, wishing to see your own complicity in terms of capitalist, colonial, heteronormative and patriarchal structures, and to translate this into your own practice
  • You’re interested in and challenged by the institutional context in which you’ll study
  • You like to share your knowledge and ideas with others: you enjoy collaborating, for example, by developing student-teacher led seminars and joint work sessions

Why choose the Master of Fine Art at HKU?

HKU has offered the Master of Fine Art since 2004. Initially known as MaHKU, the programme was revamped in September 2017 under the new name of HKU Master of Fine Art.

The Master of Fine Art is a versatile and varied programme, consisting of:

  • seminars
  • short and long-term workshops
  • guided walking sessions and communal meals
  • collaborations within HKU and with other institutions, collectives and (art) communities
  • excursions
  • face-to-face discussions
  • tutorials

The Master’s programme has a lively exchange with our sister programme, the Master of Scenography. Various artists, cultural practitioners, activists, curators, designers and theorists share their knowledge, and their way of observing and working.

Excited? Apply now!

The course in figures

The course was awarded with a golden medal by 'EW best studies 2022’. Want to know how the Master of Fine Art scores compared to other courses?

Go to the course in figures (in Dutch)

Master of Fine ArtWhat will you learn?
Master of Fine Art

What will you learn in this course?

In the MA programme, you will experiment with artistic approaches that are anchored in the sociocultural domain. You’ll look with a critical eye at questions relating to the making, sharing and perception of artistic expressions. These include:

  • How do you redefine perceptions and descriptions of ‘objects’?
  • How do artistic expressions lead to a connection between things, ideas and people and how do they undo other connections in a world we will never fully grasp?
  • How do we focus on what’s really important?
  • How do we connect to today’s sociopolitical struggles?
  • How do our background and personal experience affect our perceptions? How can we look at things from a different perspective? And how do we communicate this picture?
  • What does it mean to shape artistic expressions with a clear focus on difference and sociocultural context?
  • What can we learn from feminist, queer, decolonial and postcolonial, Black and indigenous, and disability studies and practices, while acknowledging their specific cultural expressions and struggles?
  • What are the conditions for imagining a different order of things, while practising a close involvement with (artistic) communities?
The Master of Fine Art programme consists of three focal areas:
  • Making. You experiment and work critically, based on transdisciplinary practices. You hone your skills, immerse yourself in different themes and discuss visual art and its context.
  • Thinking. You develop a critical attitude towards artistic practice and research. You learn how to write a research report in which, while founded in your own domain, you reflect within a broader sociocultural context, drawing inspiration from other disciplines as well.
  • Sharing. We believe in the importance of continual open dialogue about what we create, how we create and why we create. Interaction is a key part of the programme. You work together with others, present your work and conduct discussions in various public and semi-public forums with your fellow students, professionals and institutions

Semester 1

Developing artistic practice and research

You respond to and work with the input, collaborative methodologies and support structures from the Master’s programme.

Artistic writing

You are introduced to a wide range of theoretical discourses.

Semester 2

Developing artistic practice and research

You engage in a wide range of transmedial and collaborative art forms.

Artistic writing and its diverse forms

You focus on the analysis and production of research concepts.

Semester 3

In the third semester, the focus is on curatorial reflection. You look for suitable ways to share, present and disseminate your work.

Research report 1

You develop a critical stance on contemporary artistic debate.

Semester 4

You conclude the programme by exhibiting your own work.

Research report 2

You complete the research report.

Lecturers

Here you can find the biographies of the MAFA lecturers 2022.

  • 2021-2022
    Daniel Aguilar Ruvalcaba
    Lara Almarcegui
    Alexis Blake
    Staci Bu Shea
    Binna Choi (Casco)
    Valentina Desideri
    Kris Dittel
    Denise Ferreira da Silva
    Julia Geerlings
    Silvia Gardini
    Ola Hassanain
    Maria Hlavajova (BAK)
    Philippine Hoegen
    Max Jorge Hinderer Cruz
    Christina Li
    Heidi Linck
    Mascha Madörin
    Àngels Miralda
    Nat Muller
    Wendelien van Oldenborgh
    Rory Pilgrim
    Laure Prouvost
    Rachael Rakes
    Ilse van Rijn
    Timur Si-Qin
    Elke Uitentuis
    Reinaart Vanhoe
    Rolando Vazquez
    Rieke Vos
    Riet Wijnen
    Danielle van Zuijlen

    2020-2021
    Tiong Ang
    Christina Della Giustina
    Henny Dörr
    Ola Hassanain
    Nancy Jouwe
    Annette Krauss
    Katia Krupennikova
    Falke Pisano
    Domeniek Ruyters
    Henk Slager
    Manju Sharma

    2019-2020
    Tiong Ang
    Christina Della Giustina
    Ola Hassanain
    Maria Hlavajova
    Nancy Jouwe
    Annette Krauss
    Katia Krupennikova
    Falke Pisano
    Domeniek Ruyters
    Henk Slager

  • 2020-2021
    Staci Bu Shea
    Binna Choi (Casco)
    Valentina Desideri
    Kris Dittel
    Nikos Doulos (Expodium)
    Denise Ferreira da Silva
    Terike Haapoja
    Maria Hlavajova (bak)
    Philippine Hoegen
    Max Jorge Hinderer Cruz
    Rory Pilgrim
    Ilse van Rijn
    Timur Si-Qin
    Mascha Madörin
    Friso Wiersum (Expodium)
    Riet Wijnen
    Bart Witte (Expodium)

    2019-2020
    Maja Bekan
    Staci Bu Shea
    Valentina Desideri
    Nikos Doulos (Expodium)
    Anette Hofman
    Syafiatiduna (Kunci)
    Rory Pilgrim
    Sakiko Sugawa
    Ferdi Thajib (Kunci)
    Ilse van Rijn
    Friso Wiersum (Expodium)
    Bart Witte (Expodium)
    Yasmine Eid-Sabbagh

    2018-2019
    Maja Bekan
    Staci Bu Shea
    Valentina Desideri
    Nikos Doulos (Expodium)
    Anette Hofman
    Syafiatiduna (Kunci)
    Rory Pilgrim
    Ilse van Rijn
    Sakiko Sugawa
    Ferdi Thajib (Kunci)
    Friso Wiersum (Expodium)
    Bart Witte (Expodium)

  • BAK, basis voor actuele kunst, Utrecht conducts a post-academic Fellowship Program with, at its center, research on reframing and rethinking conditions of the contemporary through politically driven art-making and inquiry.

    For the BAK fellowship Sept-Dec 2020 the student-teacher-led initiative MSP (Mutual Support Platform of the Master Fine Art) was part with MAFA alumni representatives Gerardo Gomez Tonda and Charli Herrington.

    2019-2020
    Mijke van der Drift
    Diana McCArty
    David Munoz Alcantara
    Oleksiy Radynski
    Urok Shirhan
    Joy Mariama Smith
    Grant Watson

    2018-2019
    Mijke van der Drift
    Mitchell Esajas
    Diana McCArty
    Katia Krupennikova
    David Munoz Alcantara
    Oleksiy Radynski
    Reem Shilleh
    Urok Shirhan
    Joy Mariama Smith
    Grant Watson

  • BAK Utrecht (inclusief Fellowship programma)
    Casco Art Institute: Working for the Commons
    Expodium
    Impakt festival
Master of Fine ArtWhat will you make?
Master of Fine Art

What will you make in this course?

View and experience student examination work at Exposure 2020. And, on Instagram, view artistic expressions and collaborations that emerged from the Master’s programme:

MAFA community

Together with current students and alumni, the team of the MAFA is developing formats of exchange and mutual support that go beyond the two years study of the Master. An open student-teacher-alumni led initiative called Mutual Support Platform meets regularly to exchange and work on projects that emerge from the necessities of this group. These meetings entail sharing artistic practices, exchanging life and work experiences, peer reviewing funding proposals, other economies, etc. Twice a year, alumni share their experiences and work after the Master with a bigger audience in more public setting of the HKU-Alumni-Café during the HKU Open Day.

If you studied at the HKU Master Fine Art and want to reconnect, write an email to ma.fineart@hku.nl

Professions

What are your options when you graduate? There’s a host of possibilities, including:

  • starting your own artistic, curatorial or spatial practice
  • going on to further study, such as PhD research
  • becoming a visual arts teacher
  • a combination of the above

Location: HKU Loods building

The Master of Fine Art is taught in the HKU Loods building, a unique location with bright, roomy spaces in a studio building. Although the programmes in HKU Loods are taught in English, many different languages are spoken among students and staff.

Master of Fine ArtAgenda
Master of Fine Art

What's on

Master of Fine ArtApplication and admission
Master of Fine Art

Application and admission

You can apply for the Master of Fine Art programme if you have completed a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, such as Fine Art or Design.

Admission data 2023

The upload deadlines are:

  • 6 February 2023
  • 3 April 2023
  • 5 June 2023 (for candidates from EU/EEA countries only!)

We always recommend that you register in good time as you may need more time to organise visa and money matters.

Apply via Studielink

Once we have received your application, we will send you more information about the documents we require from you, such as a motivation letter, your CV, portfolio and project proposal. Based on these documents, we will decide whether to invite you to an online admissions interview. If you are admitted to the programme, we will send you more information on how to complete your enrolment.

Can you still apply?

You can still apply for this master for the academic year 2023-2024.

Non-EU/EEA candidates are advised to apply before 15 March to be able to participate in the admissions round in April, and to start the immigration procedure before the deadline of 1 June.

Prior education

To do this course, you must have completed a Bachelor’s degree or have already been working as a professional for several years at Bachelor’s level.
Please note: the programme is taught in English. You must therefore demonstrate that you have sufficient proficiency in English. We ask you to submit an official International ELTS or TOEFL test certificate.

Assessment criteria

In the selection procedure, we assess whether you and the programme are a good match. It’s not your ‘talent’ that matters but rather your view of the world and of sociopolitical issues. Wanting to recognise, disseminate and share are a key part of this.

Studielink

You can apply via Studielink using your DigiD.

Documents

You must provide various documents, such as:

Admissions interview

We invite you to an online admissions interview.

Result and completing enrolment

If you are accepted, we will send you more information about completing your enrolment.

Study costs

HKU has different rates for tuition fees. Depending on your situation, you pay either statutory or institutional tuition fees.

Calculate your tuition fee

  • The statutory rate applies only to students from the Netherlands, another country in the European Economic Area (EEA*), Switzerland or Suriname, and students who meet the nationality criteria of the Dutch Student Finance Act (WSF 2000).

    (* EEA countries comprise the European Union, Iceland, Norway and Lichtenstein).

  • HKU sets the institutional tuition fees on the basis of the statutory rate. Students who have already completed a course in higher education and students from outside the EEA usually pay a higher rate.
    Partly as a result of legal changes, the rate for institutional tuition fees for non-EEA students may rise considerably in the coming years.

Find out more?

First, read the frequently asked questions. Haven't found your answer yet? Get in contact with the Student Affairs Service Desk. They will help you with questions about (almost) everything that has to do with studying at HKU.

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