MAPS + S (Master of Arts in Public Spheres + Sound) is for artists who want to explore the relationships between art and the environmental, political and media dimensions of the public sphere. This two-year programme is affiliated with the HES-SO and is delivered across multiple sites, with Sierre as its base. It focuses on displacement, travel and experimentation, including sound practices as a way of listening.
Place and displacement
Sierre in the Canton of Valais acts as the base of the MAPS+S. The valley and its Alpine landscape bear witness to its (post-)industrial development, and are an international laboratory for studying the effects of climate and environmental change. This context supports the programme's activities, with a dedicated framework and facilities, including artists’ studios and laboratories for wood, ceramics, sound, screen printing, and bookbinding. Students develop their studies through partnerships with art institutions and spaces in Switzerland and abroad, building on the long-term relationships maintained by the programme, and through study trips to cities such as Marseille, Athens, Venice, Palermo, Milan or Turin.
Stations
MAPS+S consists of eight annual stations. These sessions, lasting from seven to ten days, take the students’ work as a starting point to foster artistic reflection and collective exchange. These nodal moments interweave diverse modalities of (un)learning—from research activities, seminars and workshops to screenings, performances and exhibitions, from interventions in the public sphere and territorial explorations to collective discussions and individual mentoring. The stations encourage an intensive, collective and situated approach to study. During the stations, students engage with the public sphere through interventions, research, listening practices, the study of critical approaches to environmental and social issues, and the exploration of writing and publishing as artistic practices. Between stations, artists develop their research independently or within self-organised and financially supported study groups, accompanied by faculty members.
Aspects of sound
Sound and listening practices are a core dimension of education and research at EDHEA. This focus is particularly evident in the Sound major of the BA Visual Arts degree, centred on creation, experimental research and critical reflection on sound. In this context, MAPS+S students benefit from a team active in the field of sound practices, as well as from dedicated technical infrastructure. These synergies substitute interaction between contemporary sound practices and artistic research, enabling interdisciplinary projects to emerge through exchanges, workshops and collaborations.
Multilingualism
The MAPS+S programme is grounded in multilingualism, with a focus on French, English and German. Group discussions are generally held in French or English. The thesis can be written in French, English, German or Italian, depending on the languages spoken by the teaching staff and students.
EDHEA
EDHEA—The Valais School of Art also offers a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts, a Bachelor’s degree in Sound Arts, vocational training in graphic design, and a foundation course in Art & Design. Part of the school, the IRAV (Institut de recherche en Arts Visuels) provides a space for idea-sharing and transdisciplinary creations. The Institute’s activities are closely aligned with the teaching program, its topics, and the methodologies designed for the Fine Arts Bachelor’s degree program and the Master of Arts in Public Spheres + Sound. IRAV fosters research and innovation in the visual arts, contributing to the academic and professional development of students and researchers. A new campus is currently under construction and scheduled to open in summer 2027.
