General information 2007-2010
International Workshop



Metáfora´s Contemporary Art activities consist mainly of a full time studio-arts course. This course is called “The International Workshop”, and lasts for one academic year (september to June). Artists and art-students come from a variety of countries, giving the course its distinctive international atmosphere.Teaching on this course is in English, although most tutors speak Spanish.

The profile of a typical student on the International Workshop is that of a young person aged between 19 and 35 years of age, beholder of a degree in Fine Art, Design, Architecture or similar. It could also be a person with some experience in art (min. A-levels) who is preparing entry to higher art or design education (graduate or port-graduate). Students come from different countries, and the particularity of the course is exactly its international atmosphere.
There is an average of 28-29 students each year.

Teaching on this course is in English, although most tutors speak Spanish.
Classes are on weekdays from 9'30 to 14'00, and students are welcome to stay and work in the studios until 21'00.
 
  
Course description, methodology and aims


The idea behind the International Workshop is to offer quality tutoring, creating an ongoing dialogue between young artists of many nationalities. Our intention is to break down preconceived or stereotypical ideas of identity, culture and nationality, and we hope that the artistic collaboration among our students can help create a deeper understanding between different cultures.

The methodology of the course does not simply consist in teaching techniques or providing students with knowledge about materials and ways of working. At Metáfora, we believe that the practice of contemporary art requires time for reflection and debate, and most of our programme revolves around the term "artistic intention".
Our students are expected to posses a large amount of self-discipline and maturity, as well as some basic knowledge regarding different techniques.

Because of the way we teach at Metáfora, this course should not be considered ‘beginners' level. Our students come from a variety of backgrounds, but we expect them all to have some previous experience from other art courses.

Students on the International Workshop must understand the importance of group spirit, both when working in the studios, and when participating in debates, discussions and presentations. The International Workshop is not an Open Studio , where people come and go when convenient to them. Students must posses a sense of responsibility towards the course and the other students. Students come from all over the world to meet and work together, and at Metáfora we expect them to do just that. This means that we require students to sign in every morning, and that we count absences, even if the programmed activity is studio work.
    Interested in Art-Therapy as well?
    As a student on the International Workshop you are welcome to attend the introductory courses in Art-therapy during the year with no additional charge (subject to availability of places). The introductory courses are a requirement for entry to the MA in Art Therapy (Universidad de Barcelona). Teaching is in Spanish.


The week on the International Workshop

The week at Metáfora is divided into different activities.
Some of these activities are for the whole group and some are chosen by each student at the beginning of term, following a system of credits. While some of the s tudents participate in workshops, others work on their own projects at the school.

This structure is interrupted in weeks where a new project is presented or in weeks where students show their work to the group.  

Mondays:
9'30 to 10'00 Monday assembly (For all students)
10'00-12'00 Model drawing (optional, workshop choice)
11'00-14'00 Tutorials (for students working in their spaces)

Thursdays:
9'30 to 10'00 Lectures/seminars on Art Theory and Contemporary Art History (For all students)  

Tuesdays to Fridays:
9'30-12'30 Workshops or talks and tutorials by visiting artists
11'00-14'00 Tutorials (for students working in their spaces)

 

;  
Workshops / classes

During the first week of the course, each student chooses which workshops he/she will attend during the term. We recommend that students choose around half of the optional programmed activities, in order to have enough time free for individual studio work and tutorials. The idea is for the student to "organise" his/her stay at Metáfora in a way which suits him/her personally.
We try to emphasize the importance of not choosing too many workshops, helping students to create a balance between months where they work mostly in the studio and months where the concentrate on workshops.

Some workshops are one-day classes, but m ost last 2-3 days (spread over one or two weeks) and run from 9'30 to 12'30. When class is over, students can continue working on the techniques presented to them, or have tutorials with the in-house-tutor present that day.
For some workshops, students are given assignments of works to be produced from day to day. Workshops are meant as “appetizers” for the student to decide whether he/she wishes to continue experimenting with the technique presented.

The idea is to provide the student with a framework of different techniques and ways of working, which he/she can investigate in depth and use to develop his/her own ideas. This structure of priovides the opportunity for practising artists to visit Metáfora and complement the work of the in-house-tutors. Workshops have a given theme and end with students presenting their work to the rest of the group.

The Workshops are normally divided in four parts:
•  A short talk about technical procedures.
•  Examples of how this media or set of ideas has been used by other artists.
•  A specific exercise provided by the tutor.
•  A brief presentation of the work produced.


   
Programme

Visiting tutors at Metáfora are artists and professionals who make a living from their artistic production.
They rely on exhibitions and artist-residencies, etc. and this means that planning a workshop months ahead is a very difficult thing to do for most of them.
For this reason, unfortunately, the programme of the International Workshop is sometimes subject to last minute changes or workshops being postponed. The order of the workshops planned may therefore vary. A transcript of the year in course can be provided upon admision. In order for future students to get a clearer idea of the programme at Metáfora, below is a list of the workshops offered during an academic year.

The programme may vary from year to year and include only a selection of the workshops on the list.
The definite programme of the course is handed out some weeks ahead of the beginning of the course.  

Drawing
Tools in drawing: Human anatomy, basic forms & proportions (model drawing)
Tools in drawing: Human anatomy, rhythm and movement (Model drawing)
Visits to the zoo (drawing)
Visits to the zoo the Theatre Institute (drawing)
Tools in drawing: Portraits, hands and feet, perspective
Tools in drawing: Ink & bleach, betun & varnish
Large drawings

Painting
Materials and techniques: Colour theory
Materials and techniques: Canvas stretching, making your own oil- and acrylic paint.
Painting: The human body
Tools in Painting: Texture and alternative materials, frottage and collage
Materials and techniques: Water colour, colour and paper, big format
Materials and techniques: Oil: Colour and brushes, light and "clair-oscure"
Action painting
Painting Outdoors: Land- and cityscapes

Sculpture, Installation And Object-Making
Object making
Installation
"Art Brut"
Interactive art Basic welding
Clay sculpting (figurative)
Plaster casting and mould making
Materials and techniques: Mould-making, plaster casting
Materials and techniques: Wax, soap and other materials

Photography
Photography: What is a camera?
Photography: Introduction to the darkroom, processing negatives, B/W Printing
Photography: The pinhole camera
Advanced photography: Film and paper
Advanced photography: Portraits, light and colour
Advanced photography: Liquid light and other transfer techniques.
Advanced photography: Alternative techniques

Others
Composition in painting and photography
Screen printing on paper or textiles
Basic tools in Web design
Basic tools in PowerPoint
How to make a portfolio and how to get grants and sponsorship
Basic clothes-making and fibre-knowledge
Fashion design advanced: Alternative materials
Graphic design and layout
Basic tools in Photoshop
Ephemeral art Photocopies: Technical procedures
Scenography and installation
Performance: Theory and techniques
Art Theory Artists books: Printed matter and other techniques
Curating: 3 day workshop, prior to exhibition

 

 


   

Free Studio Time
During free studio time each student works on individual projects, choosing materials and working techniques according to his/her own interest. Thus, while some students can be found working with photography or painting, their fellow students may be working on sculpture, fashion design, performance or installation-making.

The free studio time may be the most difficult part of the course because, apart from supervision from in-house tutors, students have to work without anyone giving them assignments or exercises.
On the other hand, it is also the part of the course in which every student is allowed to grow and develop indvidually; to formulate his/her preferences in terms of materials, techniques and style.

The in-house tutors at Metáfora are available to students for advice on materials and techniques, and for in-depth supervision of personal work.
Tutors can offer more concrete exercises to students who feel they could benefit from this. By using this methodology Metáfora aims to follow each student throughout their creative process, as well as giving them the necessary tools for working in the solitary environment, which is the world of the artist or designer.

The tutors also offer help and advice to students who wish to prepare portfolios and application forms for art and design colleges throughout Europe and the rest of the world.

 
 
   

Projects

Approximately every 5 weeks we present a new project or working theme for the students to work on.
The idea is for students to spend most of their free studio time to work on projects with relevance to this theme.
The project titles are broad enough to allow the student to work freely within their own field of interest.
A few examples of project titles include: "The Tower of Babel", Culture and Prejudice"; "Body and Limits"; "(Beyond?) Dreams"; "Space and Time; specific sites "; “Popular Culture, the Consumerist Spectacle”…

Each project starts with four days of introduction and ends with students' work presentation:
•  Presentation of the theme - brainstorming.
•  Two days of theory and context.
•  Talk by an artist whose work is related to the theme/ gallery visit.

Each project ends with a presentation where each student presents the work they have produced during the project to the rest of the group. Written statements concerning the work accompanied by documentation of the finished artwork are handed in the day before.
These statements can be used later for the “book” mentioned below.
The project-presentation lasts three whole days.

 

  

End-of-term Exhibitions

There are two scheduled end-of-term exhibitions at the Metáfora each year;
An open studio exhibition in the middle of December and an end-of-year exhibition in June.
The exhibitions are open to the public and invites, catalogues and a special web page are produced by the students on both occasions.

All students show art works in the two exhibitions, where the selection process and curatorial project is a result of intense collaboration between students and tutors.
At Metáfora, we conceive the exhibitions as a natural climax of the International Workshop, and expect that students work hard and concentrated in order to show work of quality and interest.
It is our experience that the “Private View” is well visited, and we have often had more than 250 visitors on the opening night.

There is a considerable amount of “production work” related to the exhibitions, and all students are expected to take part in the different assignments with drive and sense of responsibility towards the project.

The different tasks include:

•  Design and production of catalogue, invites and posters
•  Design of website
•  Writing and propagation of press release
•  Contact to press and sponsors
•  Participation in long and intense meetings about title, exhibition project and design
•  In-depth cleaning and preparing the space (painting floor and walls)
•  Hanging the works
•  Documentation

Expenses of printing of invites, catalogue and private view are assumed by Metáfora, within previously marked financial limits.
If the students wish to carry out more ambitious projects than the one proposed by the school, additional costs may be divided between the students of the course.
At Metáfora we encourage such initiatives and are happy to help contact sponsors etc.
On the other hand, we emphasize that student payment will only be considered, when a total consensus exists among the students.

Student Exhibitions and interactions with Barcelona

Student exhibition blog: http://metaforaexhibitions.blogspot.com/

Throughout the year Metáfora engages in several projects around Barcelona; some of these are yearly returning exhibition-projects in spaces belonging to the city-council or private organisations. Others are one-off collaboration-projects with universities or other institutions from other countries.

All students of the International Workshop are encouraged to propose work for these exhibitions, and we emphasise the importance for young artists to go through such exhibition-experience and related activities in order for to build curriculum for future studies or exhibition-activities.

For the "off-Metáfora" projects, we have opened a blog specifically for running student-exhibitions and other similar projects.
This blog is one of 5 which we renew periodically (the others are: Metáfora (Main Blog), Visiting Artists, Workshops and Classes, Social Events).

"Des de Fora" (From the Outside)
Every year in April, a group of students of the International Workshop are invited to participate in a group show called "Des de Fora". The title means "From the Outside" and should contain artworks relating to the experience of the "outsider" living in Barcelona. All art works for this exhibition must be elaborated though a digital process.
The exhibition is organized by la "Casa del Mig", a local venue of the city council.
For the exhibition a full colour invite is produced and distributed on account of the city council.

“Expressa't” (Express yourself)
December 2007
Metáfora participated in an exhibition about AIDS in the day-centre “Àmbit Dona” in the area of “el Raval”. The space is very far from representing a “white cube” exhibition space, but it represents the everyday-experience of HIV-infected people or people living in danger of infection (prostitutes, drug-addicts), who have their coming and going at “Ambit Dona”. The experience was very positive and moving. This projects forms part of collaboration with the organisation “Plataforma Comitè 1r Desembre”, which is planned to continue in future years.

“Terra de Ningú” (No Man's Land)
In May 2008 the students at the International Worksop have an exhibition planned at Centre Polidor in St Adrià de Besòs (belonging to Barcelona's City Council).

But if not, not
In April 2008, twelve MA-students from St. Joost in the Netherlands visit Barcelona and enter in collaboration with three of Metáfora's students, as well as with artists based in Hangar and Piramidon. Other institutions collaborating in this project are Santa Monica (CASM), El Almazen, LaPinta and others.
Part of the project are screenings in Hangar and Santa Monica, as well as an open studio-exhibition at Metáfora.

Leslie Raymond and MA-students from San Antonio
In April 2007, Leslie Raymond, VJ-artist and lecturer from the University of Texas , visited Metáfora with a small group of her MA-students. Metáfora's students interacted with the whole group of American students and Leslie gave a presentation of her own work.

  

Portfolios, general

All students are encouraged to pursue further studies in Fine Arts or Design, if that is their intention after joining Metáfora, and we are happy to help throughout the application procedure.
The fabrication of a portfolio or a set of works for this occasion is very important, and we normally start discussing its contents in the beginning of the course.
However, it is our point of view that a portfolio is directly dependant on the course for which the student applies;
The first step is always the investigation of which courses are available (worldwide), in order to be able to make an informed choice. Once chosen the course and institution, we look at the requirements for the application procedure, and then we start thinking about the portfolio. In any case, the essence of a portfolio is the work presented in it, and producing artworks is of course the main aim with the International workshop.

The “book”

Side-running with the portfolio, which some students produce for applying to further art education, students on the International workshop produce a “book” of works produced at Metáfora; This “book” should contain photographical documentation of all his/her work, and is produced digitally throughout the year.
For this purpose, each artwork realized by the student should be documented photographically and included in a portfolio, which is to be presented at the end of the course.

The portfolio is A4, and must contain a CV with full address and contact number in the students' home country. For each work documented there must be a brief summary of the technical process and artistic intentions.

The book must be presented in two identical printed copies (one for the student to keep at the end of the course and one for the school to keep in the archives), as well as in PDF format .

For this purpose, basic use of Photoshop, InDesign, Quark Express, Free-hand or Illustrator is taught to small groups of students or individually as an obligatory activity on the course.

 

   
Other activities

Besides the workshops and the individual work of the students, there are some obligatory activities for the whole group:

Morning assemblies and meetings The Monday Assembly (every Monday from 9'30 to 10'00) is obligatory to all students, and it has several uses: Students are reminded of upcoming workshops, gallery tours or visiting artists. General announcements are given, information about the city is shared, etc. The core of the assembly is a brief intervention by a student or a tutor on any theme or topic considered to be interesting and inspiring for the rest of the group. This is where the students actively take part in the creation of debates and discussions, something central to the idea behind the International Workshop.

Gallery and museum visits Approximately once a month, students go together to visit exhibitions or cultural spaces of interest. Normally, such students are accompanied by an in-house-tutor or by a visiting artist, previously presented to the group.

Introduction days for each new project Please see description above

Project presentation at the end of each project Please see description above

Talks by visiting artists During the course, several practising artists visit the school, representing a variety of disciplines and genres. The talks are normally followed up by a round of tutorials given by the artist in questions. During the spring term, such visits intensify and there is an average of one visits a week.

Individual work presentations Each student must show his/her work to the rest of the group at least twice during the academic year. The individual work presentations differ from the end-of-theme presentations in that the students can show work produced previously to the course, or work produced outside of the framework of the projects.

Evaluation-interviews during the academic year

End-of-term exhibitions Hanging works, designing catalogue and invites, preparation of walls and floors. Please see description above.

 

Our Blogs

Recently we have opened up a number of Blogs on www.blogspot.com.
The idea behind the blogs is to create a space were past and future students can follow the International Workshop, with an in-siders view. The blogs is a dymanic space where the visito can get a feeling of what the course is "really like".
We renew the blogs periodically and post photographs, links and information on a regular basis.

The blogs are:
Free Range - Oficial Blog of the End-of-Year Exhibition, International Workshop.

Metáfora (Main Blog): http://internationalworkshop.blogspot.com/
Student Exhibitions: http://metaforaexhibitions.blogspot.com/
Visiting Artists: http://metaforavisitingartists.blogspot.com/
Workshops and Classes:http://metaforaworkshops.blogspot.com/
Social Events: http://metaforasocialevents.blogspot.com/