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Contemporary Art in Berlin

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Location

Berlin, Germany

Dates

7/27-8/17​

Application deadline​

The application deadline for this course has passed. We are no longer accepting applications for Contemporary Art in Berlin.

Discipline

Interdisciplinary

Guest Artists

* (The Artist Gives Up His Legal Name Since the End of 2020), Karl Heinz Jeron, Veronika Reichl, Samantha Fields

Description

Create, curate, and exhibit site specific work and engagement in a personal exhibition space in Berlin, one of the world's most vibrant arts environments! Urban Berlin imprints on artists forever, foments contemporary art stars and teaches all who participate what it means to live a creative life.

Who should take this class

This is an interdiscip​​​linary course that welcomes artists, writers, and performers in all media. Students will work with an exhibition space and a guest artist in groups of 4. Any artists are encouraged to apply (including creative Germanophiles). We are looking to create multi-disciplinary teams including visual artists, writers and performers of all kinds. Those interested in gallery curation and event production are also welcome.

Required application materials

  • Please submit as a single PDF:
    • One-page statement of interest that includes information on why you'd like to study abroad and what your special interest in Berlin is, if any. Also comment on whether you speak German (definitely not required - all classes will be in English). Also comment on what you hope to gain from and contribute to the class.
    • Website or portfolio/attachment that helps us understand your creative work. For instance, if you're a visual artist, include images of current work with title, date, size and media. If you're a writer, include at least one 3 page writing sample - any genre. If you're a performer, include at least one 3 minute video of your work.  Whatever is appropriate to help us understand your work is great and a website or weblink to social media that shows your work is completely adequate.
    • Brief resume/CV or artist statement. (Let this suit your work - and if your interest lies primarily in curation or gallery management, simply say so.)
    • If you are not sure how best to submit your work, because it does not fit any of these formats, please contact the course coordinator for assistance.

Course Coordinator

Kimberly Dark

Important Course Information

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​This course is subject to cancellation due to COVID-19 or other unforeseen circumstances. All Fees paid to Summer Arts and Fresno State will be fully refundable in the event of course cancellation.

All participants will need to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination. Religious or medical exemptions may be considered.

Passport

All participants will need a valid and current passport for travel to Germany. You will need to provide your passport number to CSU Summer Arts by June 30, 2022.

If you do not have a current passport, you are encouraged to apply for one immediately. Please check the Passport Office schedule before you apply and find out if you will need a rush order to obtain your passport in time. United States citizens do not need a visa to enter Germany, however, citizens of other countries may.

Travel

Participants are responsible for their own travel arrangements. CSU Summer Arts does not provide any group flights, reservations, or recommendations for this course. You will need to provide CSU Summer Arts with your travel information.

Participants must arrive in Berlin by July 27. The first class meeting will be on Thursday, July 28 at a time to be determined.

Lodging

CSU Summer Arts is offering group lodging arrangements at The Circus Hostel, conveniently located in the center of the city right next to major transit stops, from Wednesday, July 27 to Wednesday, August 17 (21 nights). We have reserved a limited number of beds, but will have the option to book more if student demand calls for it. Housing options are:

1) A bed in a room with two twin beds and an en suite bath: $1137 per person.

2) A bed in a 4-person room (bunkbeds) with a shared bath (not attached): $688 per person.​

The Circus Hostel offers other kinds of rooms, and additional lodging options through The Circus Apartments​. ​You may book your own lodging if you wish to select an option other than the rooms Summer Arts has reserved. 

There are also two gallery spaces which are live/work spaces. Each gallery accommodates 2 people, sharing a "back room" with twin beds, a kitchenette, and a bathroom. Because students will be working in teams of 3 or 4, you'll be sharing the front part of the gallery with members of your team who do not sleep there. This is an opportunity to experience the bohemian lifestyle of Berlin, and requires an openness to living in an unconventional space. This lodging is $700. 

You may ​​also make your arrangements with any other hotel, vacation rental, or hostel in Berlin. You will need to provide CSU Summer Arts with your lodging information.

Common Expenses

The following information is for estimates only, your individual expenses may differ.

  • ​Airfare (from LAX or SFO to Berlin): $800-1200
  • Lodging, if booked through Summer Arts: $688, $700,​ or $1137
  • Transportation: $100
  • Cell Phone: $100
  • Food/Spending Money: $1000

Please click here for course fees. 

Scholarships

Scholarship awards range from $100 to $2000 and about 80% of students receive some scholarship assistance. Scholarship funds are not available for housing or travel costs. To apply for scholarship assistance, please complete the Summer Arts scholarship application when you apply online for admission to the course. 

Click here for more information.​

Deadlines

  • Application: April 22, 2022
  • Notification: April 29, 2022
  • $500 Housing Reservation and Deposit (for The Circus Hostel): May 16, 2022​
  • $80 Insurance: May 16, 2022
  • Course Fees and Housing Balance (if booked through Summer Arts, $188 or $637): June 13, 2022

For additional information about the course, passports and visas, or if you have any questions, contact summerarts@calstate.edu.

Guest Artists

​ *​(The Artist Gives Up His Legal Name Since the End of 2020)

* is a conceptual and media artist who investigates language on a meta-level. His conceptual art is characterized by the use of everyday objects in an atmosphere of middle class mentality in which recognition plays an important role. His work explores the inabilities of communication, dialogue and the dissonance among form, content and the dysfunctions of language. ​

Samantha Fields​

Samantha Fields has received numerous awards and recognition, including a prestig​ious City of Los Angeles (COLA) Individual Artist Grant. She has an extensive exhibition history, including shows at gallerys throughout the United States and abroad. Her work has been collected by and exhibited at noted public institutions.  ​

Karl Heinz Jeron 

Karl Heinz Jeron’s exhibited works include “experimental electronics interventions.” For instance, his installation “Fresh Music for Rotten Vegetables” draws attention to resource management: overripe fruit and vegetables that are otherwise garbage are turned sound into installations that change as the produce decays.

Veronika Reichl

Veronica Reichl works as a filmmaker, writer, and lecturer in Berlin. Her book and DVD Sprachkino (Language Cinema) is about the interface between abstract language and images. She is particularly interested in the aesthetic experience of thinking, the threshold between thinking and feeling, thinking through images and through movements, performances, and performative talks.​​

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