The Faculty of Media Art was established as a response to the challenges of contemporary visual culture. It was the first such department in Poland. It is located in a historic building at 15 Spokojna Street.
About the Faculty
Classes at the Faculty of Media Art mainly concern photography, video, animation, sound, virtual space, performative and spatial activities, installations, painting, and drawing. The value of education is the individual artistic development of students.
The curriculum is two – level and interdisciplinary. Its basis is openness to combining and interpenetrating various media, which allows students to acquire knowledge and skills in two specializations – multimedia (combined media) and intermedia (different, interpenetrating media). The Faculty offers first and second – cycle studies in full – time and part – time form.
During first – cycle studies, emphasis is placed on transferring knowledge and workshop skills and developing students’ audiovisual awareness and sensitivity. This is achieved through classes relating to contemporary concepts of image and sound. The study program ensures the acquisition of competencies necessary for both independent implementation and teamwork.
Second – cycle studies focus on providing specialized knowledge and the ability to formulate artistic messages. Education is based on the intermedia and multimedia use of tools combined with theoretical reflection; as a result, it allows students to freely use various artistic means and professional technology.
The aim of the studies is also to develop the ability to analyze works of art in terms of formal and perceptual aspects and their functioning in the space of culture, independent implementation, and presentation of artistic projects and team cooperation.
A response to the challenges of contemporary visual culture
The first Faculty of Media Art in Poland was established at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw in 2009 as a response to the challenges of contemporary visual culture, which uses various artistic means, with particular emphasis on digital media. The faculty aims to educate artists who consciously co – create this culture and who can fluently use a spectrum of means of expression, depending on the artistic intention of the work.
The Faculty offers artistic education in specialized studios devoted to classical media (painting, drawing, sculpture) as well as spatial activities, performance art, photography, video, and digital art. In addition to specialized computer rooms, there is a photography studio equipped with the latest generation of instruments, a green box and a cinema room, which serve to acquire skills in the field of digital and analogue photography, video, 2D and 3D animation, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AD), recording, processing and transmission of image and sound as well as the use of computer programs.
Bachelor studies. The language of visual arts
First – cycle studies are aimed at people with basic artistic skills, sensitive to the language of visual arts (form, space, colour, composition, movement, time), who are not only interested in contemporary art but also want to learn the spectrum of technological possibilities of tools for artistic expression. During first – cycle studies, emphasis is placed on the transfer of knowledge and workshop skills, as well as the analysis, recognition, and use of media in terms of the carrying capacity of the artistic message. There is also developed students’ awareness of the choice of sources of inspiration and audiovisual sensitivity to contemporary concepts of image and sound.
Second – cycle studies. Formulating artistic expression
The second – cycle studies were designed for people who already efficiently use tools and techniques enabling contemporary artistic expression, have developed audiovisual sensitivity, and are predisposed to presenting and justifying artistic concepts. Additionally, they can critically evaluate phenomena of modern culture, or social and political events.
During the second – cycle studies, the scope of knowledge and skills is expanded in the aspect of formulating independent artistic expression in the specialities of intermedia and multimedia. The use of artistic means using professional technology is linked to theoretical reflection; the ability to critically relate to contemporary cultural phenomena and socio – political events are improved and expressed in an individual artistic proposal. As a result, students can consciously and effectively undertake work in the field of media art. Studies at the Faculty of Media Art teach social competencies in creating and managing teams implementing complex artistic projects, often requiring cooperation with external institutions.
„A particularly important resource of the Faculty of Media Art are outstanding artists and educators developing the traditions of Oskar Hansen, Jerzy Jarnuszkiewicz, and Grzegorz Kowalski. The success of their educational assumptions is confirmed by numerous, domestic, and foreign awards and distinctions won by students and graduates of the faculty” – Prof. Sławomir Ratajski, Dean of the Faculty of Media Art
Programme
The Faculty of Media Art aims to educate artists who cocreate contemporary audiovisual culture. The changing reality of civilization inspires the Faculty to update the program and structure.
The faculty is artistic, enabling work in the field of media art and allows you to acquire skills in the field of photography, video, animation, computer programs and their applications.
The curriculum is interdisciplinary. A team of lecturers with artistic, research and teaching experience, and with great awareness of the combination and interpenetration of media, is prepared to work with students in the field of media art, in the specialities of intermedia and multimedia.
The Faculty of Media Art was established in 2009 as the first one of a kind in Poland. It was a response to contemporary phenomena in art. He drew on teaching experiences from, among others, the workshops of Oskar Hansen, Grzegorz Kowalski, Ryszard Winiarski, and Roman Owidzki.
The first level of studies places emphasis primarily on knowledge and workshop skills, analysis, and recognition of media in terms of the carrying capacity of an artistic message and the development of awareness of the selection of sources and inspirations. An important element of the study program is building students’ audiovisual awareness and sensitivity, which is achieved through classes relating to contemporary concepts of image and sound. The next stage is to acquire the ability to analyze works of art in terms of formal, perceptual, and cultural functioning. It ensures the acquisition of competencies necessary for independent implementation and presentation of creative achievements and for teamwork at this stage of education.
The second level of studies focuses on providing specialist knowledge and the ability to formulate an independent artistic message. Education is based on the intermedial and multimedia use of artistic tools combined with theoretical reflection. It allows you to freely use the language of artistic expression and professional technology. It enables conscious and effective creative work in the field of media art. By developing the ability to critically respond to contemporary cultural phenomena and socio – political events, education considers the student’s individual artistic development expressed through conscious artistic implementation. It allows you to acquire social competencies in creating teams implementing artistic projects and managing their work. It facilitates cooperation with external institutions in the implementation of multi – element projects.
Numerous awards received by students and graduates in competitions in Poland and abroad confirm the achievement of the Faculty’s goals. Activities are undertaken to cooperate with graduates to support their further artistic development.
