PIE Annual Meeting 2024
Prague, Czechia
The Paradox of Internationalisation

John Hill is an educator and writer based in Prague since 2017. He leads the Fine Art Experimental Media BA at Prague City University and teaches Art Writing on the Art in Context international masters at AVU. As a member of the artists’ collective LuckyPDF, he has had work exhibited internationally and been commissioned by major UK institutions, including Hayward Gallery and Frieze Foundation. His writing has appeared in Frieze Magazine, PARSE Journal, Spike, Artalk, Blok Magazine, Camera Austria International and MOST.
His practice-based PhD, which explored artistic collaboration inspired by network technology, was undertaken with LJMU's Uses of Art group, a partner of the L’Internationale museum network. His current research looks at the political potential of narrative and mechanics in interactive media.

Lamija Čehajić (*1997) is a Bosnian intermedia artist based in Prague. She graduated from the Faculty of Humanities of Charles University and the Academy of Fine Art in Prague where she completed her MA in the Intermedia III studio (Studio of Conceptual Exploration) in 2023. She is interested in the relationships between the body and the landscape as geologies of presence and belonging, and the need of collective accountability for the futures that are to come. She has worked as an assistant of the curatorial team in Kunsthalle Wien under the directorship of the collective WHW (What, How & for Whom). She is the first laureate of the Vojo Dimitrijević award for young fine art in Bosnia and Herzegovina. She is currently working at the Vice-Rectorate for Art and Research of the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague as well as a free-lance cultural worker and translator for art institutions in Prague, including The Society of Jindřich Chalupecký and The National Gallery in Prague. She is a co-founder of initiative OKRA, which aims to democratise the grant writing processes for marginalised and emerging artists in the Czech Republic.

Marianna Kozak is a student at the Theatre Faculty (DAMU), PhD. programme: Authorial Acting, year: 4. At the Department of Authorial Acting, Marianna conducts a research on the topic of "Nikolai Demidov's Acting School in the context of the Department of Authorial Acting". During her studies she started to work on acting pedagogy and mentoring, both in Prague at DAMU, as well as at workshops and internships abroad (e.g. London, Kiev, Maribor, Nicosia, Athens). In addition to theatre and pedagogy, she works on film projects and shoots (as an actress, assistant director, casting assistant).

Tomáš Borl is a student at the Music and Dance Faculty (HAMU), follow-up Master's programme: Composition, year: 2. Tomáš is also a Prague-based composer, pianist, and trombonist. He has a bold and quite adventurous compositional development, as he is curious about discovering diversity in music and crossing genre lines. He is focused on composing music for chamber groups, symphony orchestras, and big bands. His coverage contains solo works and electroacoustics/live electronics works as well. He is collaborating with artists from the non-musical field and has been composing music for films, dance performances, and video games.

Sylvia Mesa, Haute école des arts du Rhin HEAR, Alice Brunot & Caroline Barjon, ANdEA - Association Nationale des Écoles Supérieures d’Art et de Design Publiques (National Association of Higher Schools of Art), France
The international geopolitical climate presents paradoxical challenges for higher art education institutions in various ways. These institutions are not immune to the political developments and tensions happening on a global scale. In recent years, it has been seen how political changes, conflicts, and policies have influenced the daily operations and experiences of art schools and colleges’ communities worldwide. Through discussion, participants will share their stories and experiences to learn from each other’s best practices. After this session, each participant will be better equipped to respond to this challenging context and help preserve a good climate within our institutions.

Beatrice Newman & Rosemary Stott, University of East London, United Kingdom
Being situated in one of the most diverse cities in the world, fostering equity, diversity and inclusion is a priority for ‘East London Arts’ at the University of East London. During this session, case study will be presented of the development of the BA Fashion Cultures and Business course, including practical, interactive examples of how it has addressed the challenges of delivering an anti-racist curriculum in the context of increased internationalisation of the student demographic. The focus is primarily on the concept of ‘culture’ and how it has been appropriated in the global North, often simplifying its rich complexities to fit Westernised narratives.

Hanna-Britt Augasmägi, Estonian Academy of Arts, Estonia
Making the decision to go study abroad is a big step in each student's life. However, this exciting experience is not without its challenges. While for the most part, the challenges are universal among most students, there is a group that has their own unique set. These are international students of colour, who can be more easily singled out as ‘the other’ due to the way they look. Through conversations with international students at the Estonian Academy of Arts, participants will hopefully gain an insight into exploring the experience of being a student of colour in a predominantly ‘white’ country.

Jordi Guillemi Baste, ESDAPC Escola Superior d'Arts Plàstiques de Catalunya, Spain
At Llotja School, the proposal is to intertwine local artists with the global landscape, harmonising globality with regional culture. This vision unfolds through a series of initiatives involving international students. To facilitate this integration, the school will host three Erasmus+ blended intensive programmes. Drawing inspiration from Miró and Gaudí's symbology, participants will engage in a symbolic activity where they create symbols embodying the paradox of internationalisation, ultimately contributing to a collective mosaic.

Lise Uytterhoeven, The Place - London Contemporary Dance School, United KingdomIn this workshop, participants will explore the experiences of students at The Place, London Contemporary Dance School (UK) who took part in the International Exchange programme. Students spent one term at partner institutions in Brazil, South Korea, Taiwan and USA. Key themes emerging from their responses through the post-exchange evaluation process include wayfinding, support, immersion, adaptation and openness. Participants will engage in simple movement-based tasks and discursive sharing around reflective tasks in response to images, words and questions. Using dance-based methodologies to foster empathy and mutual understanding, participants will deepen and strengthen their embodied understanding of intercultural student exchange experiences.

Vitor Gomes, University of Évora, School of The Arts, Portugal
"Let's talk, drawing" workshop centres around action, knowledge sharing, learning, and amplifying the voices of European university affiliates. Its core objective is to foster a "universal" graphic discourse among students, faculty, and support staff, transcending the traditional confines of university spaces. By engaging in dialogue through drawing, participants collectively showcase that knowledge knows no bounds within academia.

On the challenges of curriculum development and studio practice within an international visiting artist(s) programme
Jennifer Helia DeFelice, Faculty of Fine Arts Brno University of Technology, Czechia
The Faculty of Fine Arts, Brno University of Technology’s (FaVU VUT) Visiting Artist program, established in 2019, has hosted 11 artists from 9 countries, delivering tailored curricula to 4 to 19 students per semester across 16 core studios. Sessions, taught in English, have adapted to in-person, hybrid, and fully online formats, including during the COVID-19 pandemic. Coordinated by Jennifer Helia DeFelice since 2021, the program prioritizes individualized curricula, merging methodologies and pedagogical approaches. Challenges include coordinating diverse educational backgrounds among faculty and adjusting to changing teaching modalities. The programme offers students international learning experiences within their home faculty, fostering equal opportunity and artistic growth. This presentation examines program variables, challenges, and outcomes, fostering discussion on strategies for effective Visiting Artist Studios.

"DIAL a DIALogue"
Daniela Catona, West University of Timisoara, Romania
The presentation, "DIAL a DIALogue," spotlights two distinct projects. Firstly, "Work in(g) Place," an online international endeavour, provided visual artists with a platform to exchange images depicting their workplaces amidst the pandemic. Secondly, "Why am I asking you?" facilitated connections between students at the Faculty of Arts in Timisoara and peers from diverse educational and cultural backgrounds within the university. This project underscores the significance of communication among students from varied contexts, serving as a compelling case study for the depth of interaction fostered across different levels within the academic community.