In the MAPs study programme, you will explore a world in transition through material research. Materials are contrary to materiality (Ingold, 2007) considered as matter that is actively explored through the senses. Materials can be tangible (clay, textiles, fluids, etc.) but we also explore intangible materials (light, sound, concepts, etc.) and their (transformative) processes in the material world. The master programme encourages a holistic approach, by exploring the tangible, aesthetic and practical properties of materials and the historic, cultural, political, and ecological entanglements of materials. Through practical exploration and engaging with relevant discourses and theory students will gain a deeper understanding of varied materials, the implementation of material knowledge in their artistic practice and develop ecological sensitivity.
MAPs is closely connected to the local landscape, culture, and crafts in the North of the Netherlands; a hands-on environment to experiment with local materials and knowledge.
The active research focus on local materials in relation to global impact will expand understandings of circular, future-proof materials within art and design practice. Students are challenged to set up a hybrid artistic practice in a local community, develop circular materials or engage in mapping material sources and possible new connections with sustainable production chains.

Central is a shared knowledge approach where unique experiences, backgrounds and artistic practices will create an experimental, open, and collaborative learning environment. Students will work together with guest lecturers, artists, and experts from a variety of fields, which will broaden their understanding of the possibilities of materials within their artistic practice.
Besides experimental and context aware research, students will explore archival methods, as artistic knowledge production, and as an intrinsic part of their artistic practice. Together with fellow students and stakeholders, students will contribute to a dynamic archive of materials both physical and digital. The dynamic digital archive is designed to be an active, evolving resource that can be continually updated and improved over time. The digital archive gives insight into making processes, collaborations, material development and experiments.
 

The graduate of the Study Programme MAPs demonstrates

Making, Performing, Designing, Conceptualising
• Artistic methodologies and projects that contribute to the field of materials in art and design and dynamic archiving operating at the forefront of the work field.
• A body of work which is rooted in and can be related to a personal artistic vision and system (consisting of a personal set of artistic goals, sources of inspiration and theoretical starting points).
 
Experimenting, Innovating & Researching
• The ability to gather meaningful material and sources relevant to the graduate’s own artistic practice, by means of a well-documented research process.
• Results of experimental and practice-based investigations into methods, devices and concepts that critically examine the mediated relationship with society .
• The ability to independently investigate the graduate’s own content (motives, topics, and themes), used technology or working methods for the purpose of developing the work.

Theories, Histories & Cultures
• The ability to position, by means of a written thesis, the graduate’s own artistic practice in relation to existing and new theories and ways of thinking concerning the related and developing practices of materials and archiving, as well as to broader cultural, social, and theoretical contexts relevant to the work.
• The ability to contribute with the developed work and thesis to professional knowledge concerning the related and developing practices of materials in art and design and archiving in particular, and to the international art practice in general.

Technical, Environmental & Contextual Issues
• The ability to deal with technical and material issues in the realisation and presentation of the Graduation Programme in such a way that technical issues are no obstacle to the creation, realisation, and expression of the graduate’s own artistic concept.
• Full awareness of and ability to work with site-specific and other environmental and contextual issues in the presentation of the Graduation Programme

Re-thinking, Considering & Interpreting the Human
• The ability to reflect critically, both in the thesis and in a public presentation, on:

 
Communication, Collaboration & Inter-disciplinarity
• The ability to present the graduation work in a careful and well-considered manner in a public presentation.
• The ability to present an artistic vision in a written and illustrated thesis using a form that is appropriate to the work and research framework.
• The ability to discuss and indicate in clear terms, both verbally in a public presentation and in writing through the thesis

 Initiative & Enterprise
• Taking full responsibility for the development, realisation, and presentation of the Graduation Programme.