Open Arts

The programme fosters the development of an individual artistic practice across disciplinary boundaries, strengthens students' ability for critical reflection and self-reflection and encourages the discovery and development of new fields and forms of expression in art.  

The course is centred around the experimental and interdisciplinary field of art, academia and society. This qualifies students for the exploration of arts and areas that are newly emerging or are expected to develop in the course of the social, ecological and technological change. 

Students can also use the master's programme as preparation for an artistic or academic doctorate.   

The curriculum is competence-orientated. After completing the master's programme in Open Arts, students should:

• be able to engage experimentally, but also reflectively, with concepts and methods from various artistic and academic disciplines, to apply them, and to bring them into current discourses and dialogues
• have developed an understanding of disciplinary and *disciplinary+ practices and their contextualisation in contemporary art forms
• be able to work with different media, materials and technologies to realise artistic projects/processes and develop them further.  
• be able to successfully organise, plan and implement *disciplinary+ (inter-, trans-, cross-, undisciplinary) projects in terms of processes and cooperation
• have developed an understanding of theories and methods and be able to integrate them into their own practice and create appropriate forms to present, communicate and document them
• have mastered artistic and academic working methods (in relation to their own practice) and be able to analyse, interpret, develop in writing and communicate artistic and academic content
• be able to reflect on, communicate and further develop their own artistic practice, and position its relevance against the background of social, ecological and technological challenges
• have developed a critical awareness of social, political and cultural contexts, 
• be aware of and fulfil their role as facilitators and translators between theory and practice, artistic and academic disciplines
• be able to think and act ethically in the face of changing global conditions in order to help shape a sustainable, inclusive, diverse and democratic world
• be able to formulate new perspectives, approaches and insights, 
• have taken advantage of the (free) electives to build a specialism, which may also be of interest for artistic and social development as a whole and at the same time develop their individual interests beyond their own field in the spirit of lifelong learning

The course of study extends over four semesters, during which students work continuously on their projects. These may already be components of the master's project. They receive individual supervision and support.  

• Artistic practice: The focus of the course is the (individual) artistic practice/project which should explore and cross disciplinary boundaries.
• Focus: Students can take a targeted look at the content and methods of another specialised discipline that is relevant to their own project. The entire range of courses offered by the Mozarteum University is available to students. Individual practice is co-supervised by teachers from the Mozarteum's departments and institutes, depending on the courses offered and the available capacity. 
• Forum: This is where students (from all years), teachers, co-supervisors and external partners regularly exchange ideas and practices.  
• (Dis-)Positions: International guests and experts offer new perspectives and impulses in the first and third semesters in the lecture-series. 
   
• Reflections: These seminars take place in the first three semesters. They are about reflecting on artistic and social developments, and developments in the state of research, and their impact of this on one's own practice.  
• Methods: In this workshop format, methods and techniques, in particular unconventional experimental approaches, are tested and developed practically and collectively. Particular attention is given to those that are transformed in the course of social, ecological and technological change.  
• Excursions: Excursions are organised in the second and third semesters.  
• Optional/Free electives: Students can choose their electives and set their own focus.

The course is designed to be open, non-hierarchical and collective. Courses can be attended by external interested parties if capacity allows and are held in English and German.