Paris, 21 December 2011, Art Media Agency (AMA).
In Europe, London and Paris have gained a rich reputation throughout the centuries when it comes to their art schools, however, they are not the only places where contemporary artists can be found. In Germany, Berlin has been an attractive pole for young talents and for education in art for a very long time. The Kunsthochschule Berlin-Weissensee (School of Art and Design in Berlin-Weissensee) has attracted many students, since it was created in 1946 by Bauhaus artists and directed by the sculptor Otto Sticht. The German capital is also home to the Universität der Künste Berlin (University of Arts in Berlin) that presents itself as “one of the biggest, most diverse and most traditional university of arts in the world”. Among other prestigious art schools in Germany, one of the oldest is the Kunstakademie of Düsseldorf, founded in 1773, and presents itself today, as a modern campus that welcomes local, as well as foreign students and professors interested in visual arts.
In Spain, future artists could attend Marabella Design Academy, founded in 1995, that hosts all its courses in English in order to attract foreign students, as well as to encourage Spanish students to open themselves in the international scene. In Barcelona, Davinci Escola D’Art, founded in 1974, is particularly active in the cultural life of the city. The majority of students prefer to attend high ranked universities for art education and for this matter, Facultad de Bellas Artes of Seville (Faculty of Fine Arts) and Universidad Complutense of Madrid are particularly well rated. In Italy, the art education has a rich tradition and evidently, Europeans still have faith in the Roman city for education, following the durability of Académie de France in Rome, British School, American Academy that prove this. One of the oldest and most prestigious establishments of the country, is Accademia di Belli Arti of Florence which was added to Accademia delle Arti del Disegno, founded in 1563 by the Medicis under the influence of Giorgio Vasari.
Like Southern Europe, Scandinavian countries are no exception when it comes to art schools. Each year, more and more foreign students are attracted to Scandanavian schools, such as School of Visual Art of the Royal Danish Art Academy in Copenhagen, Oslo National Academy of the Arts and School of Fine Arts of Gerlesborg in Sweden (Gerlesborgsskolan) — with branches in Stockholm and in Provence, South of France. Every country has a different approach in teaching art and design which is a good thing, as the different programmes and courses offered, allows a wider range and genre of potential artists, whilst still encouraging international exchanges.