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about the programme
Our society needs critical, open minds that reshape the world of tomorrow. For creative makers who address the ecological, economic and social challenges within our contemporary society, and devise smart alternatives to them with pleasure and passion. Through a pervasive sense of research and experimentation, Autonomous Design students develop their skills in applied and artistic making practices. In doing so, they work both independently and collaboratively, engaging in an engaged dialogue with all other actors in the web of life.

autonomous design

about the programme
study path
bachelor+master visual arts
graduating option autonomous design
2+1 jaar*
language
Dutch
English
registration process

read more about the programme

Social Design

In the Social Design curriculum, you question the role and purpose of design within society, we weigh the functional character against autonomy and redefine the social position of art and design. The intention here is to potentially have an impact on society. 

In the first undergraduate year, the emphasis is on the exploration of design methodologies and you will critically examine both the field of work and the current interpretation of production, industry and culture. In the second year, you research your personal positioning, conceptualisation and visual language centrally. Not only targeted assignments, but also a confrontation with other practices will help you do this. In the third year, you develop an undergraduate project within the school, and work outside the school – in the course External Projects – with an (institutional) partner.

* In academic year 23-24, KASK & Conservatorium will not admit any intake in the 1st bachelor of the graduating option autonomous design. The other bachelor and master years will be organised.

Perception, narrative and representation

Like Social Design, Perception, Narrative and Performance recurs in every undergraduate year. This course brings together various methodologies and techniques that help you perceive, investigate and then represent context and process visually. You are also given digital and analogue tools to learn to communicate ideas and narratives you developed during the design process. In this way, you learn to register the specificity of a situation, environment and/or community. This allows you to communicate your vision, which you develop in the course of the bachelor, to your target audience. In addition, the first-year Participatory Practices programme introduces students to forms of participatory artistic work, shared authorship, cocreation and other forms of collaboration. 

The theoretical component Context and Design supports these practice subjects and addresses concepts, frameworks and reflections from the contextual field that drives Social Design practice. Such as, for example, ideas around the responsibility and social position of the designer/artist, around sustainability, social equality, participation and commons or around contemporary production processes in comparison with historical and anthropological examples. 

During the Master year, you work independently on a personal project under the guidance of a theory and practice mentor. During a collective master class – in close interaction with external professionals – you will delve deeper into fundamental aspects of artistic and design practice, thus strengthening substantive processes.

Working broadly

Alumni autonomous design work on artefacts, products, services, (inter)actions, situations, relationships, environments, political practices, organisational models or open systems, among others. Through purposeful assignments and experimental moments of making, they hone their own vision of the world, discover what positive engagement they can incorporate, what new sustainable models or ways of working they can develop and deploy to that end and – last but not least – in what way they can best translate their conceptual creations to an audience. You will thus find connections to a very diverse professional field: from socio-cultural organisations and creative incubators over ecological design platforms and urban maker collectives to self-founded critical-autonomous making practices.

English master

KASK & Conservatorium offers English-language master programmes in the visual arts, audiovisual arts, drama and music. Each year, dozens of foreign students choose the master programmes of our faculty to continue their studies. The presence of students from different international backgrounds is an enrichment for our educational tradition and provides an added value to the training of foreign master students and Flemish students moving on from the Dutch-language bachelor programmes alike.

The programmes are organized so as to facilitate encounters between Dutch-speaking and English-speaking students in informal contexts, in seminars and courses, and even in artistic projects they start up together. There are no differences in curricula, competencies, learning outcomes or organization between the English-language programmes and their Dutch-language counterparts. English-speaking candidates holding a master’s degree in music can also go in for the advanced master contemporary music or one of our postgraduate programmes.

Don’t hesitate to contact the study and learning track counsellors with your questions.

stud yprogramme

3E BACHELOR
60 credits
Course unit
Credits
Sem
Social Design III
16
J
Externe projecten
8
J
Waarneming, verhaal en voorstelling III
6
J
Kunstfilosofie 2
3
J
Studie van literiare teksten 2
3
J
Kunstenaarsteksten 3
3
J
Semiotiek
3
2
Te kiezen
3
1
Initiatie Werkveld: Vormgeving & Design
3
1
Initiatie Werkveld: Beeldende Kunst
3
1
Initiatie Werkveld: Audiovisuele Kunst
3
1
Initiatie Werkveld: Drama
3
1
Minor Keuzevakken
12
1+2
Dossier
3
2
60
MASTER
60 credits
Course unit
Credits
Sem
Masterproef
29
J
Scriptie
9
J
Theoretische seminaries
12
J
Keuze 1 seminaries
4
J
Keuze 2 seminaries
8
J
Keuze 3 seminaries
12
J
Masterclass Autonome vormgeving
4
J
Te kiezen
6
J
Kunst in het werkveld I
3
J
Kunst in het werkveld II
4
J
Kunst in het werkveld III
6
J
60
ENGLISH MASTER
60 credits
Course unit
Credits
Sem
Master's Project
29
Y
Thesis
9
Y
Elective Seminars
12
1/2
Masterclass Autonomous Design
4
1/2/Y
To choose
6
1/2/Y
Arts in Practice
6
Elective courses within Ghent university Association
6
60

enrolment

To enter the master's programme, you will take part in an orientation test. These are organised several times per academic year.

contact
you'll follow most classes at
Cloquet
2, Louis Pasteurlaan
9000 Ghent
the studio is located on
De Zaal
26, Nonnemeersstraat
9000 Ghent

credits

  1. Sybren Janssens, Graduation 2021, photo: Benina Hu
  2. Maria Stuut, Verduinen, Graduation 2023, photo: Rembert De Prez