“We don’t set assignments.” Prof. Judith Samen’s statement gets right to the heart of artistic teaching: “What we do is create a space in which people can freely decide what they do.” A Kunsthochschule should open up a space for its students in which artistic processes can develop. As Winfried Virnich, a professor at the Kunsthochschule from 1997 to 2021, puts it, its task is to offer “a protective, framing, and also demanding place where engagement with one’s own desires is possible.” The most important challenge facing the Kunsthochschule Mainz is continually creating, shaping, and improving this protected space.

The primacy of artistic teaching lies in the classroom. Each class is led by an artistic professor, meaning artistic teaching at a Kunsthochschule is, in the truest sense of the word, anchored in the class instructor’s example. The class serves as a shared studio, workshop, exhibition space, and place of exchange. This exchange is institutionalised in the weekly colloquium, where newly created works and future projects are presented, analysed, discussed, and further developed within the class community. It is here that attitudes towards oneself and one’s artistic practice can mature. Since 2020, this class principle has been enshrined in the state higher education law, and we are proud of this achievement.

Looking back, we see that the Kunsthochschule Mainz has grown rapidly — evolving from an art department within a university to a Kunsthochschule aligned with the other 23 German art academies. Throughout this process, achieving the greatest possible independence has been a central concern. The Kunsthochschule Mainz is part of Johannes Gutenberg University, whereas almost all other Kunsthochschulen are autonomous institutions. With approximately 180 students and 14 professorships — 11 studio classes, one in art-related theory, one in art education, and one foundation class — the Kunsthochschule Mainz is one of the smallest in Germany.

Its strengths lie in its focus on artistic disciplines, which has allowed it to retain the Diploma programme, and in the close dialogue between the theoretical disciplines of Art Education (Kunstdidaktik) and Art-Related Theory (Kunstbezogene Theorie) — in which the Kunsthochschule holds the right to award doctoral degrees — and the artistic classes. This reflects the vibrant relationship between theory and practice that only a Kunsthochschule can offer. The Kunsthochschule’s distinctive profile stems from the equal and closely interwoven coexistence of its Fine Arts and teacher education (Lehramt) programmes. For graduates of the teacher education programme, experiencing artistic thinking — encountering the fundamental otherness of artistic knowledge and practice through studio study at a Kunsthochschule — provides an invaluable foundation. Developing and shaping aesthetic discourse is a fundamental social responsibility of Kunsthochschulen — one that must also extend to schools.

The Kunsthochschule Mainz’s identity rests on two pillars: enabling high-quality contemporary artistic expression among its students and actively presenting their work to the public — providing a protected space and a bridge. The intensity of the teaching programme and the extensive schedule of exhibitions and lectures bear witness to this. With this in mind, the Kunsthochschule Mainz positions itself as one of the most important forums for engaging with contemporary art and culture in Rhineland-Palatinate.

This ambition is reflected in the recent merger with the renowned Künstlerhaus Schloss Balmoral. In 2021, the Künstlerhaus — previously an institution of the Rheinland-Pfalz Foundation for Culture — transferred its content, budget, and administration to the Kunsthochschule Mainz. Consequently, the renowned residency house in Bad Ems is now a branch of the Kunsthochschule, and the Kunsthochschule is a partner of the Künstlerhaus. This unique merger gives both institutions a distinctive profile unparalleled in Germany and enhances their international appeal. It also underlines the exceptional character of the Kunsthochschule Mainz.

Martin Henatsch, Rector of the Kunsthochschule Mainz