How our MFA Arts & Humanities helps students bring their art to real audiences

Just to the north of the Royal College of Art’s Battersea campus, is Albion Riverside Square – a ‘publicly owned private square’ part-time MFA Arts & Humanities student, Dora Grabkowska explains.

‘It’s a very interesting site, the public has a right of way but there are limitations in terms of using this space.’ Intrigued by the in-betweenness of the space, Dora talked to the Spatial Value team at the RCA (Rut Blees Luxemburg and Sarah Staton) who introduced her to our neighbours, architecture firm Foster+Partners – to whom she successfully pitched her badminton project.

Taking place at RCA2024, the project was ‘a playful inquiry into space ownership, and our freedom to access and activate these spaces.' With the help of Forster+Partners, Dora liaised with stakeholders including Wandsworth Council, who provided guidance and included the event in the Wandsworth Arts Fringe festival.

‘This project has allowed me to develop a framework for creating a critical response to a research theme, which includes considering the context, defining an appropriate medium, collaborating with key partners, and managing all the practicalities of a public event.’

Now in the second year of her part-time MFA, Dora is working on her research project looking into art as activism, rooted in sports subcultures.

Working with Kent Downs was an invaluable experience for Mengxi, Yifan, Peiyu and Titi as part of their MFA Arts & Humanities. ‘The most thrilling part of this project was establishing an ongoing collaboration with the organisers at Kent Downs’ the team told us.

Their project turned data on the changing calcium carbonate profile of the cretaceous subgroup bedrock near Dover into an art installation consisting of a moving image work as well as an interactive module which was shown at the Dover Museum and Salt + Earth Festival.

Each member of the team took on specific responsibilities relevant to their art and design specialism. ‘I was mainly responsible for the presentation of the final 3D visualisation’ Mengxi Li told us. ‘It helped me understand how data can be interpreted by technology, driving an artistic model to completion.’

‘I was responsible for designing the layout of descriptions’ Peiyu Zhao explained to us. ‘I also created the posters and postcards. By using visual communication design, I effectively showcased the entire project process. This experience also greatly benefited me in my current role at a design firm.’

‘We were incredibly honoured to receive guidance from two amazing tutors,’ the team said. ‘Dr Adam Kaassa and Dr Jessica Potter. Adam helped us discover the connection between our project concept and astronomy studies, pointing out that we are essentially visualising invisible substances. He also introduced us to the colouring techniques used in astrophysics.’

Inspired by German artist, Joseph Beuys, ‘The Ark’ is a short film depicting a world changed by a sudden cataclysmic event. Famine and flood have destroyed much of the old structures and the inhabitants of a desolate land have found hope by building an ark of the objects lying in the wreckage.

The team wanted to magnify the heritage of Cement Fields, a post-industrial space occupying the Kent coastline, using this abandoned site to explore themes of dystopia and utopia.

‘The LIVE Unit is, above all, a project where you can collaborate, combining to form a unique art piece’ Eustache Bedier told us. ‘We juxtaposed our skills into four areas: shooting of the film, making props, ensuring the public dissemination of our show, and coming together at the end to celebrate. And Tutors are there from A to B, giving you the chance to realise your project in the best way possible.’