Tutors:

Eden Mitsenmacher

Martina Raponi

Belle Phromchanya

(This programme is only taught in person, not online—unless specified differently).

General description:
Visual Culture is a term used to describe the combination of all visual expressions within culture. Ranging from pop culture to governmental surveillance, visual culture is present within society at large. It is this omnipresence that is subjected to critical analysis and speculative reimagination in the minor Visual Culture at the WdKA.

By building upon the creative impetus evident within the arts vis-à-vis the theoretical references within academia, this minor will delve into the following question: how can students, through theoretical and practical research, understand contemporary politics within the field of visual culture and reimagine their ramifications into either the near, or far future

In terms of references and context, we will expand the main theme of the course by investigating concepts that are related to it directly or indirectly. This will allow the development of individual lines of research that will unravel by way of speculative explorations and analyses that will touch upon relevant investigations of themes, political moments, social developments, and all those context-related elements that do influence and shape the notion of visual culture. The individual researches will form the basis of a collective and collaborative effort in publicly presenting the work

What we offer:

• Skills in reading the politics of an image.
• Skills in formulating research questions.
• Skills in speculative artistic practices.
• Guest lectures by established artists and thinkers.
• Guest editorial support for the collective publications
• Working together with established art spaces.
• Working together with students from other disciplines.
• Final public exhibition/event.
• Small excursions.

What we expect:

• The willingness to engage with reading & writing exercises.
• The willingness to collaborate.
• Having an individual and collective study approach.
• The willingness to self-organize.

Learning outcomes

• You are able to understand the core definition and the sociopolitical reach of visual culture.
• You are able to integrate reading and writing efforts within art and design production.
• You are able to apply critical and speculative thought in art and design production.
• You are able to apply collaborative professionalism in working with guest lecturers and editors.
• You are able to use peer review methods in giving and receiving feedback from fellow students and professionals.
• You are able to navigate and organize the production of collective publications.

Deliverables & Assessment:

Deliverables:

• Written research document (2000 words).
• Artistic project.

Assessment:

• The written document will be individually and asynchronously assessed.
• The artistic component will be assessed after being presented in class.

APPLICATION PROCESS (KOM)

Are you a student from another educational institution and would you like to follow a minor at Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences? If so, you must apply in two steps:

Step 1
Register for the minor of your choice via the blue Apply button. You can find this button at the top right of the minor’s page.
Download the learning agreement and complete it.
Submit this learning agreement to the examination board of your study programme.
Once the examination board has granted approval, register for the minor in Step 2 no later than 01-07-2025 at 9:00 a.m.

Step 2
After approval, register via OSIRIS Application of Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences using the link below (first create an account).

https://osiris.hr.nl/osiris_aanmeld_hrprd/Welkom.do?proces=KOM2609&opleiding=MINOR-WDK-VT 00

Part of the application process is uploading the following documents:

The learning agreement, signed by you and by your institution;
A scan or photo of your passport or ID card.
 
You will be informed by Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences whether your application has been approved.

In OSIRIS Application, you must also upload the Proof of Paid Tuition Fee (BBC) for the academic year in which you wish to follow the minor. This can be done from 01 May 2026onwards. You can request the BBC from your institution after you have signed or issued an authorization for the payment of the tuition fee for the relevant academic year. You may also choose the option for your institution to send the BBC directly to collegegeld@hr.nl.

You will receive a notification from Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences once your application has been approved.