Dear new academy students,
Welcome, and congratulations on choosing for art and for this art school! Thank you for placing your trust in us. Respect too; choosing imagination and artistry in these turbulent times is not easy, but it is absolutely essential! More than ever, the world needs the gentle power of creativity and imagination. We want to arm you with that power.
You have just been welcomed in the student restaurant; originally, this beautiful space was the ‘gallery of antiquities’, where hundreds of plaster copies of antique sculptures were displayed. Those plaster casts are now scattered throughout the studios and corridors of the academy. They represent the past and the traditions on which art and art education are based. You, on the other hand, represent the future of art. You will populate and determine the art landscape of tomorrow. We, the academy, form the middle ground: between tradition and future, we work daily to support and guide you on your journey to becoming artists. Literally everything in the academy is dedicated to this: studios, auditoriums, workshops, research rooms, exhibition spaces, library, and offices. Last but not least, there is this beautiful academy garden, conceived by researcher Eline De Clercq as a living work of art and community garden.
As rich and dynamic as this campus is, it is only a compass. It is your home, but also your base. So explore and exploit not only your studio, but the entire academy campus with all its places, activities, opportunities, staff and fellow students. Take advantage of the artistic and creative richness of the urban context and consider the city as your studio. Don't lock yourself into a studio or a vision, and dare to take risks, even if it seems that you are going against expectations and conventions. And finally: engage fully in life in and around the academy. This school is a living fabric and is created by everyone who works there. After all, a school of art is also a school of life.
I wish you all an inspiring year!
Johan Pas
