Art.School.Differences

Art.School.Differences is a research project that examined admission procedures and policies at three Swiss art colleges - Haute école d'art et de design Genève, Haute école de musique Genève and Zurich University of the Arts. The aim of the project was to explore the structures of the participating art colleges and to translate the findings into new practice in order to contribute to opening up the institutions.

Some findings from the research project:

Admissions Procedures as a Selection of the Chosen Few

• A high school diploma is the norm among students at art colleges: High school graduates have a better chance of being admitted than candidates with different educational backgrounds.
• The admission policies of art colleges reinforce gender-specific stereotypes: in certain degree programs, men are given preference, while in others, women are.
• Art colleges do not facilitate social mobility but rather (re)produce exclusions by distinguishing between accepted and rejected candidates—and thus between art practices deemed worthy of support and those deemed unworthy.

Admissions Procedures as a Continuous Process

• Candidates must bear the high costs of preparatory courses, introductory courses, and private lessons in preparation for the entrance exam
• Admissions processes are characterized by openness and vague expectations and require interpretation. Those who possess “hot knowledge”—that is, knowledge passed on informally—are better able to interpret these processes. To do so, candidates need connections to faculty and students as well as a field-specific habitus.

Pre-selection and Screening

• In fields where demand exceeds the number of available spots, a “screening” process is used to identify candidates who are deemed unsuitable through “soft screening methods” such as information sessions, motivational interviews, preparatory courses, or internships.

Ongoing Selection and Competition After Admission

• The exclusive nature of art colleges persists even after the entrance exam. This manifests itself as pressure to perform and ongoing competition, which are justified by the realities of the job market. As a result, stress tolerance, physical fitness, and mental resilience become key criteria for success.

Linearity of Educational Pathways vs. Plurality of Migration Societies

• Since the mid-2000s, there has been a noticeable “displacement” of first- and second-generation migrants living in Switzerland from institutions of higher education in art and design. This applies not only to the universities examined in this study but to all Swiss art universities. In the case of ZHdK, this trend began at a time when, among other things, tuition fees for the preparatory program were massively increased.