31/05/2023

First phase of ASH MA project successfully finalized

We are celebrating a successful end of the first project phase for ASH MA with an exhibition and presentation of the Master of Arts in Art, Science and Health study program on Friday, June 2nd, at the Department for Art Education, Academy of Fine Arts, University of Zagreb (Jabukovac 10).

During 2022 and 2023 together with our international partners, we have designed ASH MA - Art, Science and Health Master of Arts programme. It is a new, two-year-long, international postgraduate study program critically investigating and contextualizing the notion of health through diverse art practices related to fields and themes such as healing and care, medical science and alternative medicine, enhancement mechanisms and design prosthetics, genetics and bioethics, activism and environmental practices.

Only 9% of all currently existing undergraduate and postgraduate, master and doctoral programs, courses and projects connected to this field are based in the EU, while almost 50% of them are located in the US. In the context of current societal and cultural perturbations, ASH MA seeks to critically explore and re-imagine the concept of health through art, with the main objective of intensifying the role of contemporary artistic research and practice within the field of health humanities and critical re-thinking of the social, environmental, philosophical, economic and biological concept of health in its broadest sense.

In November 2022, the concept of ASH MA was tested during a one week pilot course for over 60 participants coming from 23 different countries all over the world, with their professions ranging from pharmacists and musicians, to designers, doctors, teachers. Future ASH MA graduates will acquire advanced knowledge in the theory and practice of art, science and health through progressive consolidation of the pedagogical framework with a transdisciplinary approach, and merging of creative, critical and practice-oriented thinking.

The consortium of partners continues to work on next phases of programme accreditation and administration in order to fully implement the designed curriculum in all three partner Universities.

INTERNATIONAL CONSORTIUM
— Department for Art Education, Academy of Fine Arts, University of Zagreb
— Department of Audio & Visual Arts, Ionian University, Corfu
— Faculty of Media and Communications, Singidunum University, Belgrade
— NGO KONTEJNER | bureau of contemporary art praxis, Zagreb

The project was supported by European Union Program Erasmus Mundus Design Measures (2022-2023).

Supported by