FUD UJEP 2023–2027 / FUD UJEP 30+

The Faculty of Art and Design at the University of Ústí nad Labem is reaching a significant milestone in its "coming of age." At the beautiful age of thirty, it is brimming with the strength to respond to changes and demands from the external environment, as well as to the dynamic development of the artistic and design scene in the third decade of the 21st century. All while maintaining respect and humility towards the traditional technologies and crafts from which it originally emerged.

In a team process, members of the academic community are building a faculty that contributes to changing the perception of the necessity of art and culture as drivers of societal development. They moderate professional and outreach discussions on the current forms of fine arts, design, graphic design, curatorial practices, and creative industries. Additionally, they cultivate the local environment. Through their programmatic composition, they reflect the evolution of contemporary artistic trends. They consider technological advancements in their material and production capabilities and can flexibly respond to unforeseen challenges, including those originating outside their field of discourse.

The world is changing, and the academic community of the faculty is more aware than ever that it is necessary to shake up the internal environment in line with the needs of the current generation of students and the demands of the present. With respect to the values and foundations laid by previous generations of educators, the faculty will be represented by new leadership until 2027. This leadership considers in its intentions the contemporary view of the fluidity, interdisciplinary nature, and speculative character of creative disciplines.

The term "design" at the Usti School traditionally includes the field of authorial creation, which takes into account the aesthetic as well as the utilitarian value of the created artifact. Whether it is interior design, functional objects, projects at the intersection of material research and fine art, or the broad field of graphic design and visual communication. However, the Faculty of Arts and Design is fully aware that the 21st century brings further expansion of "design" towards design significantly influenced by digital technologies. This includes areas such as information design, social media and application design, game design, social design, or environmentally sustainable design. These do not stand in contrast to classical materials and production methods but are further developed and enriched alongside digital prototyping tools, machine learning, or the use of nanomaterials and innovative technological processes.

In the field of fine arts at the Usti faculty, there is a progressive and, compared to other art schools in the Czech Republic, unusually close and intensively integrated with digital technologies and various forms of "technical image." However, similar to the development in the design field, including graphic design and visual communication, teaching and creation in the Fine Art program humbly straddle between more traditional positions and current trends. This includes interdisciplinary overlaps towards sound art, action or object art, and various forms of media, such as elements of gamification, augmented or virtual reality, and evolving forms of authorship. In the context of discussions about the status of artists and the general need for artists in society, the faculty stimulates debates about current trends in artistic creation. It also programmatically develops students' creative thinking and self-expression at all levels of study to enable them to respond flexibly to new stimuli and creatively solve emerging problems in the future.

The almost immediate appreciation and the possibility of promoting high-quality student art pieces from a partially closed academic environment to the open professional exhibition scene are facilitated by the existence of the Curatorial Studies program and the potential, even desirable, interdisciplinary communication among students from different study programs. For the purpose of professionally presenting fine art works and design projects, the faculty has its own above-standard gallery facilities and collaborates with various other exhibition institutions. The faculty welcomes the formation of community student initiatives, creative activities, and, through internal grant support, contributes to their realization.

The faculty strives to stimulate regional pride while also undeniably operating in a national context and establishing strong international partnerships with opportunities for joint prestigious creative and research projects. It organizes international exchange residencies, including foreign scholarship stays for graduates.

The heads and assistants of individual studios, along with other educators at the Faculty of Art and Design, endeavor to guide students toward critical understanding, sensitivity, refinement, professionalism, and a passion for the most beautiful field of human activity in the world. They strive to meet the individual needs of students to the greatest extent possible, approaching each student with respect for their abilities and skills, while expecting an appropriate response, a desire for education, and a willingness to further develop. Thanks to all of this, Ústí nad Labem appears as an ideal place to start a creative career, with high-quality production and exhibition infrastructure, as well as opportunities for creative work in a city that is not expensive, not far from Prague, and has excellent accessibility to Germany.

Zdena Kolečková, Dean of the Faculty