weißensee academy of art berlin

The weissensee school of art and design berlin was founded in 1946 as an alternative to the traditional art academy. Building on the ideas and teaching of the Bauhaus movement, the school of art and design stands out because of its unique profile. It offers more than 800 students from Germany and abroad a one-year, interdisciplinary course of foundation studies. These basics in art and design are followed by diploma studies in free art as well as bachelor and master’s degrees in design. This classless system is accompanied by detailed, research-based teaching of theory and history. Students can complete their studies in sculpture, stage and costume design, fashion design, product design, textile and surface design, and visual communication. The range of courses on offer is complemented by two advanced master’s courses in art therapy and spatial strategies. In addition to the individual specialist subject areas, the school’s 19 superbly equipped workshops and studios provide practical, technical training in printing, casting, weaving and knitting skills as well as in solid digital technologies. The research laboratories at the school focus on experimental research and networks for sustainable design strategies as well as media and information technologies.

The degree courses in design are active in numerous, supraregional research and cooperation projects and work on pioneering and innovative design processes and on approaches to finding solutions with regard to the climate, the environment, sustainability, textiles, fashion, housing and mobility. In view of the processes of optimisation in the world of work and in our everyday lives and a radical culture of the algorithm, the free arts address social and cultural issues and those intrinsic to art itself, produce oppositional thinking and develop alternative strategies and visions. With the help of support programmes for alumni, which include business start-ups, the studio programme and grants from the Mart Stam Association, the school of art and design provides the best possible opportunities for the transition from studying to a career. In so doing, it makes a significant contribution to strengthening young, creative talent and to developing the artistic and cultural landscape of the city of science that is Berlin.

On the basis of the four key skills for those who learn and teach in the 21^st century – creativity, collaboration, communication and critical thinking -, the students and members of the school of art and design see themselves as an international community which, in collaborating in a way that is practice-oriented, promotes intellectual discourse in society.

With the guarantee of its fundamental right to freedom of expression, the weissensee school of art and design berlin, as an autonomous institute of higher education, shapes the freedom of art and science in its research and teaching. On the basis of its political identity, the university is committed to equality of opportunity, gender equity, diversity and inclusion and thus to the dismantling of systemic barriers. It takes a clear stand against right-wing radicalism, anti-democratic tendencies and discrimination. As a place for social interaction – in times of crisis too – the university promotes a culture of togetherness.

With its cross-disciplinary teaching and research in the areas of art, design and science, the weissensee school of art and design berlin provides excellent courses of study. Its development projects in the fields of art and design make a significant contribution to relevant processes of change in society and to the cultural discourse that accompanies such change.

Angelika Richter
Principal