Bard College Berlin News
Reminiscing on the Fall 2023 Semester at Bard College Berlin
In early August, when Berlin was still warmed by the late summer sun, the Language and Thinking program began for the class of 2027. Seventy-three students, coming from 29 countries around the world, moved into the residence halls to kick off their college experience. For three weeks they immersed themselves in Bard’s unique introduction to the liberal arts through small-group seminar discussions, lots of reading, and writing to prepare them for the next few years. Eleven new faculty members also joined BCB at the start of the semester: two permanent faculty and nine guest professors.
The new Bachelor of Arts degree in Artistic Practice and Society (APS) admitted its first incoming cohort at the start of the semester. This unique degree is the only program of its kind in Germany, offering students the opportunity to pursue interdisciplinary artistic practice within the framework of an academic degree, while taking full account of key developments in the art world, past and present. BCB’s partnership with Monopol, an arts space housed in a former warehouse in Reinickendorf, facilitated the expansion of the practicing arts spaces. These spaces have allowed students to access a wider offering of practicing arts classes, such as glassblowing and marble sculpture.
Throughout the semester, Bard College Berlin hosted a variety of lectures, guest speakers, and panel discussions. Among the wide range of events hosted, world-renowned conceptual artist Ai Wei Wei came to the BCB lecture hall to discuss his latest exhibition in Berlin and the political aims behind his work. Current students made us proud at events such as the OSUN Summit on Mobility & Immobility, where Aisha Khurram delivered the keynote address. Alumni embarked on exciting professional endeavors, such as Aryana Aryan’s publication of an interdisciplinary arts magazine called Perediza.
Finally, we said goodbye to the students who presented their thesis projects throughout the last few weeks of the semester and graduated. Many of them will stay in Berlin to pursue careers or continue their studies in the city’s universities, and others will go elsewhere to continue their paths outside Germany. Regardless of where they end up, BCB students will always have a connection to the campus and community of Bard College Berlin.
Post Date: 12-22-2023