Tutors:

YunJoo Kwak

Santiago Pinol Arevalo

 

CONTENT

Critical Praxis encourages students to enact between theories, lessons, and skills to bring together artistic practice and socio-political critique. Academics use concepts to explain society at large, but politically active artists, designers, and educators utilize objects, actions, and images. During this minor, you will discover how society is built on ideologies, norms, and beliefs, and how to critically engage with them in your work as an artist, designer, or teacher. You will comprehend how historical power dynamics in society result in an unequal distribution of resources, and opportunities based on economic, racial, and gender hierarchies. You’ll learn how to utilize art, design, and education to analyze, expose, reflect and challenge power structures by doing.

 

FORMAT

This minor asks you: how do we define the present moment we are living in? To engage with this question, you will position yourself in time to challenge colonial perspectives of time, history, and progress that have shaped our worldviews. You will learn and use techniques like artistic  research, reading/desk research, and action research. Additionally, you will choose your own goals and assignments, as well as create your own working techniques, drawing on critical studies, ideas and analytical tools. Your chosen project could be one that you’re willing to pursue in the future, for example for your graduation. The result could be an art or design object, a service, a publication (such as artists’ books), a multimedia installation, a performance, an exhibition (curatorship), or another kind of project.

KEYWORDS

Social justice, decolonization, critical theory, intersectionality, self-organization.

GOALS

•  Explore and delve deeper into areas of interest that intersect with one or more
• Critical theories relevant to the identified keywords.
• Question, address, and actively seek to rectify existing hierarchies and power
• Structures within the chosen domains.
• Develop strategic tactics aimed at challenging established norms while engaging in collective ways of doing theory through the practice of artistic research.

 

 

LEARNING OUTCOMES

• You will create a visual work that is practice-based and expresses your artistic vision and critical reflection.
• Through artistic research, you can examine, analyze, interpret, problematize, position, and evaluate your own position as a maker and work process, as well as that of others.
• To keep an active and critical attitude toward the environment in which you create and present your work.
• In a collaborative effort, to actively work with others to create the final public event.
• To critically examine and challenge power structures in society through your work.

Entry requirements (Non WdKA students HR + KOM):

This minor is open to WdKA students and students from other institutes at Hogeschool Rotterdam.

 

DELIVERABLES & ASSESSMENT

•  Visual self-positioning statement
• Written research document (max. 1000 words).
• An artistic-practice project.
• A final collective public presentation.

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

This minor is open to WdKA students and students from other institutes at Hogeschool Rotterdam.

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.