http://www.mahku.nl
Casco, Office for Art, Design and Theory
http://www.cascoprojects.org
Expodium, Platform for young art
http://www.expodium.nl
Utrecht Consortium
Utrecht Consortium is a new initiative of the Utrecht Graduate School of Visual Art and Design (MaHKU) and the Utrecht art institutions Casco, Office for Art, Design and Theory, and Expodium, Platform for young art that is focused on artistic research. The collaboration aims to investigate the specificity of artistic knowledge production in the context of exhibition making, and the significance of research-based practices for the (reformulation of the) curriculum in the current art academy. These questions will be explored through seminars, lectures, PhD trajectories, and experimental exhibition models. During the research processes, the Utrecht Consortium will involve other knowledge institutions such as the Utrecht University, the University Museum, Utrecht Manifest, and the Dutch Design Center. Currently, the Consortium partners engage in the following research trajectories:
MaHKU (Utrecht Graduate School of Visual Art and Design)
MaHKU aims at reflecting on the position of artistic research in the topical domain of visual art, implying the significance of the current research attitude for the implementation of an adequate, didactic program for art education at a graduate level. Therefore, MaHKU is developing a symposium on the specificity of graduate art education for March 8 in collaboration with the Brussels St. Lucas Academy. Participants are scholars such as: Ute Meta Bauer, Daniel Birnbaum, Willem De Greef, Clementine Deliss, Simon Sheikh, Henk Slager, Bart Verschaffel, Jan Verwoert. and Mick Wilson.
In addition, MaHKU will launch a monthly series of Utrecht Research Lectures including speakers such as Mika Hannula, John Rajchman, and Luc Tuymans. Finally, together with the University Museum and Utrecht University, MaHKU will launch a long term research project on the interface of artistic and scientific representation. For more information on MaHKU’s research program, MaHKU’s Journal of Artistic Research (MaHKUzine), and the research-based Master’s program in Fine Art and Design: http://www.mahku.nl
Casco, Office for Art, Design and Theory
Casco works with international artists and designers on projects that are of an interdisciplinary nature, crossing between the fields of art, design, and theory, and other related fields. Casco’s projects often take experimental and critical approaches, involving forms of participation, ephemeral and non-object-based initiatives, and open-ended forms of inquiry that are not limited by set space or time frames, as well as workshops, events, symposia, and publishing.
Casco will begin the Utrecht Consortium program with a newly commissioned research project by Ricardo Basbaum, titled re-projecting Utrecht (April 2008). A drawing was appplied to the map of Utrecht determining nine locations for collaborative projects. In each location events will be conducted by invited artists, artists’ groups, people from the local communities, thinkers, philosophers, curators, writers, etc., which may take different forms, formats and duration, according to proposals. Participants will be invited to produce actions, interventions or events, developed according to the characteristics of each of the selected locations. More information: http://www.cascoprojects.org
Expodium, platform for young art
Expodium stimulates, produces and presents the latest developments in contemporary art. Expodium launches emerging artists by giving them an opportunity to respond to vital social developments. Through research periods Expodium deals with urban development, with a particular focus on future urban changes in the Utrecht City Centre.
In the context of Utrecht Consortium, Expodium will involve a research group for a six-month investigation of a specific aspect of urban development. That six-month trajectory includes expert meetings, small presentations, events, and lectures.
MA students and art professionals will be involved throughout this whole trajectory.
The knowledge generated by this process is vital for the ultimate exhibition that will be realized in that specific urban development area. A publication will document the research and its outcome. In the forthcoming year, Expodium will particularly focus on the shopping area Hoog Catharijne and the relations of originals plans and novel developments. More information: http://www.expodium.nl
Dutch Artist Research Event
Each first week of September, the Utrecht Consortium will launch DARE, the Dutch Artistic Research Event. DARE includes a series of research presentations, screenings, and an international symposium dealing with novel developments of artistic research in the visual domain. More information: http://www.mahku.nl
Utrecht Consortium is made possible by the financial support (sia raak) of the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science.
