Master of Contemporary Art

Sophie Durand's installation "[A Bridled White-Eye nest from Agrihan, Northern Mariana Island made from found materials from Agrihan and feathers from a cygnet found dead on the shore of Paljassaare, Estonia on the 18th of March 2021] and other objects" at TASE '22 graduation show. Photo: Joosep Kivimäe

MACA – MA Contemporary Art

MACA is a two-year international program for emerging contemporary artists of different backgrounds intended to guide them during the development of their artistic position. The main focus is on the individual artistic practice, supported by collaborative moments in the curriculum as well as masterclasses and courses introducing a range of artistic methods and platforms for research and critical reflection.

 

In addition to intensive work in the studios, exhibiting in Estonia and abroad, and working in close collaboration with peers and tutors, students are encouraged to make use of the different facilities at EKA: professional photography and sound studios, workshops for wood- and metalworking, 3D modelling, textile, glass, ceramics, printmaking and many more.

 

The MACA program is meant for artists and practitioners who already have an active practice and – while diving deeper into their fields of interest – wish to engage in collaboration, critical exchange and local context. Tallinn has a vibrant contemporary art scene with a number of art institutions and artist-run initiatives, including Vent Space that the students co-run with peers from EKA’s other programs and Uus Rada, an artist-run space initiated by the MACA students at the Raja street studio building. These spaces offer an opportunity to connect with the local art scene, providing an audience and supporting collaboration between colleagues and disciplines.

What does the MACA program offer?

  • Opportunity to assemble your curriculum within a diverse programme that offers theoretical tools and practical training
  • Individual tutoring for contemporary artists by contemporary artists
  • Access to professional studios of sound art, lens-based art, installation and sculpture and graphic art
  • Collaboration with local and international artists, curators, theorists
  • A programme of off-site events, study trips, exhibitions, and collaboration with different art institutions
  • Student exchange (KUNO, DAMA, ERASMUS)
  • Access to and experience of running the student-run Vent Space for all possible forms of art presentation and development
  • A critical discursive environment for discussions about making, displaying and thinking about contemporary art and contemporary society

Visit us on Facebook and Instagram to get to know our students!

Find out more about the Estonian art scene in this article by Kate Brown, and this interview with Margit Säde. MA Contemporary Art program was initiated by Kirke Kangro, Dean of Fine Arts; 2017–2020 the curriculum was lead by Margit Säde; 2020–2022 by Mark Dunhill and Kristaps Ancāns. From 2022, the head of the programme is Anu Vahtra, in 2023 she was joined by Maris Karjatse.

Do not hesitate to apply for MACA if…

… you value the development of your artistic practice; if you’re open for collaboration and critical discussion; if the processes in society matter to you and you are passionate about your surroundings; if you like to think, imagine, create and dream; if you are motivated and ambitious, dedicated and enthusiastic, have creative confidence and critical thinking.

News and events

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These Words Matter – an exhibition with MA Contemporary Art students

Thursday, March 21 17:30 etc., Niine 8 Opening of These Words Matter, an exhibition with MA Contemporary Art students from the course ‘Writing Practice 2’, supervised by Lieven Lahaye. The exhibition consists of new works about or conceived through writing. The title of the exhibition is lifted from Dodie Bellamy’s ‘Hoarding as écriture’. Works by: Yvette Bathgate Anna Broučková Zody Burke ...
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Portfolio⌁Afternoon for Prospective Students: MA Contemporary Art

We warmly invite all MA Contemporary Art applicants and prospective students to the portfolio⌁afternoon! Monday, 26 February, 15.00–17.00, EKA, room A501 Portfolios will be discussed and questions answered by Mirjam Varik, Sarah Nõmm and Siim Preiman from 2nd year, Elo Vahtrik from 1st year and heads of curriculum Anu Vahtra and Maris Karjatse. The portfolio⌁afternoon is structured as a set ...
Antropotseeni ööd. Foto: Tea Lemberpuu

Night of the Anthropocene: EKA art and design MA students at Vent Space

17.30–18.00 Performative gathering “ “ Yuko Kinouchi, Tea Lemberpuu, Jane Muts, Maria Elise Remme, Jake Rhys Shepherd, Elo Vahtrik We warmly invite you to slow down with us through a guided participatory gathering. We were searching for a pause, stillness. So we ran through forests, we slept in caves, we followed the waters. Everything to escape the noise man has created. The rumor about the ...
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Sten Saarits in ARS Showroom

In Dialogue with Dissonance ARS Showroom 09.02-01.03.2024 Opening: 08.02 at 18:00 "In Dialogue with Dissonance" invites viewers to engage in a practice of dialogue with the art space, its surroundings, and the unpredictable qualities of sound. "In Dialogue with Dissonance" is an installation that integrates live on-site sound, digital algorithm-based manipulations, and flashing signs bearing ...
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Contemporary Art MA online info session 2024

EKA Contemporary Art MA program invites prospective students to join the online info session on Monday, January 29, 2024 at 17:00 EET (local Estonian time). This will be an opportunity to hear more about the program, to meet and ask questions directly from the faculty. The online info session will be hosted on Zoom, the link will be e-mailed to all registrants 2 hours before the start of the ...
Night of Antropocene

Night of Antropocene, EKA ART AND DESGIN MA STUDENTS at Kanuti Gildi SAAL

18.00–18.30 Performative gathering “ “ Yuko Kinouchi, Tea Lemberpuu, Jane Muts, Maria Elise Remme, Jake Rhys Shepherd, Elo Vahtrik We warmly invite you to slow down with us through a guided participatory gathering. We were searching for a pause, stillness. So we ran through forests, we slept in caves, we followed the waters. Everything to escape the noise man has created. The rumor about the ...
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Open Lecture: Gustav Kalm. The Look of States as Investment Vehicles: A Snapshot from Millenial Capitalism

Open Lecture: Gustav Kalm The Look of States as Investment Vehicles: A Snapshot from Millennial Capitalism Tuesday, Dec 5, 17.30 EKA, A501 India is open for business. Guinea is open for business. Promoting Bulgaria as a successful investment destination. Choose France. Welcome to Estonia. Advertisements of this kind litter the pages of Financial Times, The Economist, Äripäev and other ...
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EKA Students’ Video Games and Video Mapping at the Composter Festival

NB! Viewing/listening to festival installations during the day is free, tickets are available only for evening concerts. Video games The Estonian Academy of Arts and Videogames in Arts Lab presents: Experimental Art Landscapes Discover the experimental world envisioned by students from the Estonian Academy of Arts — an immersive blend of visual and sound art that offers a unique interactive ...