A study trip organised by the Kunsthochschule Kassel combines Art History and Aesthetics research with curatorial practice.
Copenhagen offered 20 students on the Art History programme at the Kunsthochschule Kassel the opportunity to examine art, collection history and architecture within an international context. Led by Prof. Dr Alexis Joachimides and Prof. Dr Kai-Uwe Hemken, and with the support of research assistant Tabea Brinkmann (M.A.), the study trip combined art-historical analysis with insights into current curatorial and architectural practice.
The programme included visits to major institutions such as the Statens Museum for Kunst, the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art and the Danish Architecture Centre. Discussions with art historian Prof. Kristian Handberg from the University of Copenhagen, art historian Vibe Nielsen and an architect from the internationally active firm BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group) opened up additional perspectives on curatorial strategies, collection history and sustainable architecture.
For the Art History degree programme, the particular added value lies in the combination of academic reflection and first-hand observation. Students were able to compare different collection concepts, gain an understanding of institutional perspectives and explore art-historical issues in dialogue with international experts. At the same time, the examination of sustainable urban planning broadened their understanding of the social and cultural dimensions of architecture.
The trip culminated in a visit to Amager Bakke: the waste-to-energy plant designed by BIG combines technical infrastructure with recreational use and illustrates how architecture can open up new perspectives on sustainability and public spaces.
The study trip was financially supported by the PROMOS programme.