Dear applicant,

We are delighted that you are interested in the Bachelor’s degree programme in ‘Art and Media’ at the Institute of Art and Visual Culture. Admission to the ‘Art and Media’ Bachelor’s degree programme requires an entrance examination. To give you an idea of the specific focus of the Oldenburg degree programme, we would like to briefly introduce it to you here and also provide some guidance on your application and the entrance examination.

We are interested in art within its context. How is art communicated when it is discussed or written about, exhibited or depicted? Where do we encounter art? In what ways is it embedded in social, political, historical or economic contexts?

What media do we use, and how do we use them? What significance do media have for our perception of reality?

By ‘visual culture’, we mean forms of visual presentation that encompass far more than just art – such as architecture, illustration, advertising and web design; in other words, practices that are an integral part of everyday life and academia. Here, for example, we are interested in how images and media shape our perception and conception of bodies, gender and social order.

Accordingly, the practical part of the entrance examination is not only about conceiving and realising your own forms of artistic expression – for example, in the form of photographs or drawings – but also about collecting, selecting and organising images that you encounter in everyday life – whether on the internet, in your home, on the tram or on a leaflet – from a specific perspective, and to make a selection of them, order them, and present them alongside your own work.

Theory and practice in art and visual culture are not mutually exclusive; rather, they are interdependent and interpenetrate one another. That is why it is important to us, in the theoretical part of the examination, to see how you reflect on artistic positions, how you articulate aesthetic experiences in words, and how you arrive at well-reasoned arguments.

In both the practical and theoretical parts of the examination, we assess candidates according to the admissions regulations (PDF) based on three criteria: ability to articulate, independence and capacity for reflection.

(Further information on the Institute’s teaching and research areas)

The entrance examination therefore consists of a practical and a theoretical task, which you, as an applicant, must complete independently and submit the results to us by post (see address below).

PRACTICAL TASK

1st image: ALBERS

2nd image: LONG

3. Image: NASA

Select one of the three linked images.

Create a collection of at least ten images based on one of these images. At least five of your images must be your own work. You may use the following media: drawing, painting, print, collage, sculpture, object, installation, photography, film, performance. Three-dimensional works and performances must be documented either photographically or on film in the form of an accompanying DVD (max. 3 mins). The remaining parts of the image collection may be taken, for example, from films, print and online media, your everyday life or the art world.

The collection should not exceed DIN A4 size.

Works created by the student must be labelled on the reverse with the following details: Name, title (or: ‘Untitled’), year of creation, size of the original, technique (e.g. acrylic on canvas, pencil over ballpoint pen, video, analogue photography, etc.).

Images not created by you must be labelled on the reverse with the following details: name, title, size of the original (if this differs from the reproduction), source/location (e.g. URL, flea market or ‘private’)

THEORY ASSIGNMENT

Choose one of the following three tasks and write an essay on it. The theoretical assignment must be submitted in A4 format with a maximum of 8,000 characters including spaces (equivalent to approx. 3 pages).

1. Please write a review of a film. This should include your own observations and well-reasoned arguments regarding the film and the venue where it was screened. Please address both what you saw AND what you heard in your review. It is recommended that you discuss the film with other members of the audience, but please ensure that their views and opinions are clearly identified as such. You may attend a cinema screening or a screening at a film festival or in a museum.

2. Write an essay on a work of art which, in your opinion, deals with the theme of politics.

3. In your opinion, what understanding of art characterises this particular statement by an artist? What artistic forms might be derived from this text?

Important to note:

The examination papers (theoretical and practical),
the application form (available here) and
the tabular CV

must each be submitted in duplicate (reproductions/copies). Please do not send originals, as we are unfortunately unable to return the examination papers.

We do not require your A-level certificate; you must present this to the Admissions office when you enrol!

Your application must be submitted by 1 June – as per the postmark – (please do not send by registered post!) of the admission year to:

Examining board for the Entrance Examination in Art and Media (BA)
School III - School of Linguistics and Cultural Studies
University of Oldenburg
Ammerländer Heerstr. 114–118
26129 Oldenburg