Course General Description

Introversion on one side - exploration of one's interior through a spontaneous contact with clay. Clay as a medium for the recreation of our interrupted relationships with the earth, hidden in the unconscious. Intuitive approximation to the archetypal sediments of collective memory. Return to a spontaneous expression free of ambitions, purpose, aesthetic another criteria. Authenticity of expression in its genuine raw form - whether in the abstract, figural or conceptual form. Deliberate innovation as an intellectual adventure. New materials or new unexpected combination of known materials. A new view of the function and functioning of the objects - new design. The norms of vulgarised functionalism and rationalism no longer apply. The refreshing lesson of postmodern plurality and unlimited freedom has brought something significant. Everything that follows is subject to more rigid discipline again but just rationality and a matter-of-fact approach are not enough. They combine with playfulness, emotion, wit and often surprisingly elaborated details, achieving unexpected harmony and originality. Geometry is no longer a dogma but becomes poetry.

School General Description

The Academy of Arts, Architecture & Design in Prague was founded in 1885. Throughout its existence it has ranked among the best educational institutions in the country. It boasts a number of successful graduates who have gone on to become respected professionals, garnering acclaim beyond the Czech Republic. The school is divided into the departments of architecture, design, fine arts, applied arts, graphic and theory and history of art. Each department is divided into studios according to their specialist area. The studios are all led by leading figures of the Czech art scene. Twice a year the school opens to the public for a presentation of student work, entitled “Artsemestr”. Each year the school organises over 15 exhibitions, half of which are shown abroad. Prague UMPRUM, as one of the only schools of former post-communist countries, is featured in the index of prestigious European and world art schools.