The Academy of Visual Arts is committed to creativity, critical thinking, and professional ethos, our programmes are designed to nurture all those who want to become professionals in visual arts beyond the notion of particular disciplines. It is our belief that the most interesting work in the 21st century should be a product of crossing boundaries between disciplines and conjoining with media outside of established possibilities and canons. Rather than just putting the focus on specialized skills training, we prepare our students for the great opportunities ahead by educating them to consciously perceive the world around them (“to see”), to critically analyse and evaluate their findings (“to think”), and to creatively develop their views into powerful artistic statements using whatever means are necessary to achieve their desired outcome (“to create”), without material or intellectual inhibitions.

Accordingly, at the Academy, students are not limited to examine a series of media and potentially to specialize in one of them. Instead they are encouraged to investigate the idiosyncrasies of their personal ideas, free from material certainties. In AVA’s interdisciplinary and holistic approach all creative disciplines are understood as equally valuable outlets for ideas and concepts. Recent developments within the visual arts have introduced new processes and situations, which have resulted in an expanded notion of artistic practice beyond the traditional concepts of art and/or design. As a result the professional in visual arts will find a new context for artistic practice that is no longer based upon strictly distinguished disciplines or particular media but is rather a hybrid of many.

To be able to do so the Academy of Visual Arts believes that artistic work of high quality can only be achieved by well rounded, balanced artist-personalities who are willing and able to live up to the responsibilities and expectations of the profession. The staff of the Academy of Visual Arts therefore puts great emphasis on a holistic approach in its teaching, aiming to also nurture the personalities of the students through a wide range of experiences.