The last theme-based project of the academic year
focuses on taking risks. Traditionally, this is a moment
for everyone to “let their hair down” and play.
Classes in tools and techniques become more sparse
as students focus on producing and reflecting on the
production. We “warm up” for summer and for the final
exhibition - the biggest of the year - which will take place
at the end of the semester.
Short term stay · 04.05.2015-12.06.2015 · 6 weeks
Pandora’s Box
On taking risks
Short term stay, Pandora’s Box · 04.05.2015-12.06.2015 · 6 weeks
metafora
I’m constantly investigating nature nature, meaning everything.
Ellsworth Kelly
Program description Pandora’s Box
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Program overview Pandora’s Box
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Application and Portfolio
............. 9
Term dates and fees
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Payment Conditions
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Metàfora’s Contemporary Art activities consist of a full time studio-arts program, the International Workshop. Artists and art-students with different backgrounds and experiences come from a variety of countries,
giving the place its distinctive international atmosphere.
A stay on the International Workshop can range from 5 weeks to 2 years, depending on the goals and
ambitions of the individual applicant. While some people are attracted to the program in order to try new
techniques and ways of working, others come to mature their artistic discourse, spending all their time in
the studio on personal investigation. All students are given an individual studio space and have access to
studios until midnight seven days a week. Tutoring and classes are in English, although most tutors speak
Spanish.
Short term stays on the International Workshop
Not everybody has the possibility ‘to tear out an entire year of the calendar and fly off to Spain’.
We understand that. Therefore, we offer the possibility of shorter stays on the International Workshop. This
option is a more affordable, yet intense and a concentrated way of savouring the course. Overseas students on short stays do not need to apply for a student visa, and can use a 3 month tourist visa.
Students, who embark on a short term stay integrate entirely with the student-group on the International
Workshop and can participate in all scheduled classes and activities. At the beginning of the short term stay
the student will be assigned a personal tutor, who will monitor the work of the student once a week throughout the stay.
Short term stay, Pandora’s Box · 04.05.2015-12.06.2015 · 6 weeks
Link Seminars
Theme-based Project
Juan Canela / Jette Bjerg
Pandora’s Box
... on taking risks
The Link Tutorials are an occasion
for students to discover affinities and
influences in their own work from
the work and ideas of recent critical
theory and other artists.
There is a beginner’s level and an
advanced/Intermediate level.
04.05.2015-12.06.2015
6 weeks
Theme presentation
Jette Bjerg
In this theme-based project we explore the idea of the risk in itself and
the consequences of taking it.
Class hours: 3,5
Individual studio work:
10-15 hours/week for 6 weeks
Theme related talk
Jette Bjerg
The risk as a possibility in performance art and non object-related art
since the 1980’s.
Class hours: 1,5
End of Theme
At the end of each theme, students
present their work to the rest of the
group. We talk about intentions and
result, techniques and choice of materials. The idea is to make students
think and talk, formulate their ideas
and mature artistically.
Evaluation interviews
Jette Bjerg, Piotr Perski,
Juan Canela, Marc Vives,
Oriol Texidor, Quim Packard
Tutors assess the students formally 5 times during the academic
year, coinciding with end-of-theme
work-presentations and end-of-term
exhibitions.
General activities on the
International Workshop
(on-going, for all students)
Individual tutorials with
in-house-tutor
Jette Bjerg, Piotr Perski,
Juan Canela, Marc Vives,
Oriol Texidor, Quim Packard
Every other Monday students meet
with their personal tutor for a 30-45
minute conversation. Your tutor will
schedule a meeting.
Attendance is obligatory.
Assemblies
Every Monday all students gather
for an Assembly at 13’30.This is the
only time of the week, where the
whole group coincides. The assembly starts with a student-intervention.
Group tutorial with
in-house-tutor
In this intimate setting, each student
presents individual work to a small
group of students with the same
tutor.
Short term stay, Pandora’s Box · 04.05.2015-12.06.2015 · 6 weeks
Extra tutorials
Students can ask for tutorials with
other tutors. Sometimes it is helpful
to hear a different opinion, a different
point of view.
Scheduled
Area-electives
during the
Theme-based Project
Pictorial Processes
Piotr Perski
Painting and language
1-3
Class hours: 10,5
Individual studio work: 21 hours
Object & Space
Performance 1-3
Performance can be many different things, as it carries with it a long
story of different practices over the
past decades. In this workshop we
explore the physical expression, but
also the space and its limits.
Class hours: 10,5
Individual studio work: 21 hours
Photography and
digital media
Alexia Medici
Graphic Design and
presence on the internet
This series of classes are designed
as practical tools with one single
objective: That students finish the
semester with a printable book of
their work and a web-page published
on the internet.
- Photographing your art work
- Basic use of InDesign
- Introduction to WordPress
- FaceBook Pages
-Troubleshooting
Class hours:10,5
Individual studio work: 35 hours
Short term stay, Pandora’s Box · 04.05.2015-12.06.2015 · 6 weeks
Other classes
Studio assignment
Dance and Movement
Accompanied by a professional
dancer, students play with movement
and space, sounds and music.
Class hours: 3,5
Individual studio work: 7 hours
Artists Statement
Juan Canela
Writing an
Artist Statement 1-2
Students produce written statements relative to their work for each
Theme-based Project and their book
portfolio. Students are expected to
work with writing as well as layout
and presentation. This class offers a
practical, hands-on solution to getting it done.
Class hours: 4
Individual studio work: 6 hours
Scheduled
talks during the
Theme-based Project
Visiting artist
Several times a year we visit Barcelona-based artists in their studios or
have them come and talk about their
work. This is a particularly inspiring
part of the program, and many students find it useful to hear about the
experience of artists, who manage to
live from their art.
Class hours: 1,5
Special event of this
period
Open studios and
end-of-year exhibition
There are two scheduled end-ofterm exhibitions at the Metàfora
each year; An open studio exhibition
at the end of November and an endof-year exhibition in June.
It is expected that all students show
work and participate in the organisation of the opening, etc on both
occasions.
Program overview:
Pandora’s Box
On taking Risks
Short term stay · 04.05.2015-12.06.2015 · 6 weeks
4
18
9'30-11'30
5
6
7
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Theme
presentation:
Pandora's Box
(Taking Risks)
(thm_02.04)
Life drawing
(life_02.11)
Pictorial processes,
Painting and language
(pct_lan_02.01)
Pictorial processes,
Painting and
language
(pct_lan_02.02)
Pictorial
processes,
Painting and
language
(pct_lan_02.03)
Writing an artist
statement (stat_02.01)
Writing an artist
statement
(stat_02.02)
11'30-13'00 Group
assignment and
presentation in
groups A/B/C and
C/D
(thm_pres_02.04)
Group tutorials
with in-housetutors
(group_tut_02.03)
13'30-14'00
14'00-15'30 Theme related
talk
(thm_tlk_02.04)
Open Lab
MA MTF
(Saturday)
After hours
11
19
9'30-11'30
8
12
13
14
15
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Individual
tutorials with inhouse-tutor
(tut_02.08)
Life drawing
(life_02.10)
Object & Space,
Performance
(obj_int_02.01)
Object & Space,
Performance
(obj_int_02.02)
Object & Space,
Performance
(obj_int_02.03)
11'30-13'00
Link seminars
A/B/C and C/D
(link_02.06)
13'30-14'00 Assembly
Meeting about the
exhibition
14'00-15'30 Visiting Artist
(artist_02.03)
After hours
Individual
tutorials, Jo
PG MTF
18
20
9'30-11'30
19
20
21
22
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Studio
assignment
(asgm_02.03)
Life drawing
(life_02.13)
Photography and digital
media: Photographing
your art work
(dig_photo_work_02.01)
Photography and
digital media:
InDesign
(dig_indesign_02.01)
Photography and
digital media:
Wordpress and
FaceBook
(dig_fb_02.01)
27
28
11'30-13'00
Group tutorials
with in-housetutors
(group_tut_02.03)
13'30-14'00 Assembly
14'00-15'30 Visiting Artist
(artist_02.03)
Open Lab
After hours
25
21
9'30-11'30
26
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Individual
tutorials with inhouse-tutor
(tut_02.08)
Class-free day on Class-free day on the
End of Theme route
the International International Workshop, D (end_thm_02.03)
Workshop,
studios are open
studios are open
29
Fri
End of Theme
route D
(end_thm_02.03)
11'30-13'00
13'30-14'00 Assembly
14'00-15'30
Individual
tutorials, Jo
After hours
June
1
22
9'30-11'30
2
3
Mon
Tue
Wed
Class-free day on
the International
Workshop,
studios are open
Class-free day on End of Theme route
the International A/B/C (end_thm_02.04)
Workshop,
studios are open
4
5
Thu
Fri
End of Theme route
B/C
(end_thm_02.04)
Choose work with
in-house-tutor
Map up
11'30-13'00
13'30-14'00 Group tutorial
Marc
14'00-15'30
MA MTF
(Saturday)
After hours
8
23
Mon
9'30-11'30
Meeting about
the exhibition
11'30-13'00 Hang works
9
10
11
Tue
Wed
Thu
Meeting about
the exhibition
Hang works
Evaluation interviews
(02.04)
Evaluation
interviews (02.04)
12
Fri
13'30-14'00
14'00-15'30
After hours
Clean+Paint
floors
Opening End of
Semester show
PG MTF
Classes and tutorials
Some students come to the International Workshop to explore materials and learn new tools and
techniques. The course offers different combinations of classes and technical guidance. The
more experienced students come to immerse themselves into the flow of the creative process,
interested in spending most of their time on studio-work and exhibition activity. This is also
perfectly possible, and if desired, these students can omit classes in tools and techniques (Areaelectives) and attend only the talks, seminars and debates (Basic Tuition) which are absolutely
basic on the course.
Basic Tuition:
This part of the program is for all students.







Individual and group- tutorials with a professional artist or curator.
Theme-based projects and work-presentations.
Visiting artists, who come to Metàfora to talk to the students about their work.
Visits to galleries, small and big Art-institutions in Barcelona.
Studio-visits around the city.
Seminars and talks about marketing and artist self-promotion.
Exhibitions in small galleries around Barcelona.
Area-electives:
Introductory classes and tasters to how to get started with different techniques and materials.
This part of the program is optional to the more experienced students. Students choose the
desired classes prior to the start of each Theme-based project.




The Area of Pictorial Processes is largely two-dimensional and comprises a range
of techniques within painting and other kinds of image-making.
Life Drawing Continuing weekly sessions throughout the entire academic year.
Object & Space: A span of sculptural techniques and ways of working. Through a
comprehensive introduction to some of the most basic techniques.
Photography and Digital Media. This area contains both basic artistic applications
of digital photography and video, but also classes in specific tools, mainly in Adobe
Creative Suite (PhotoShop, InDesign) as well as practical tools and other resources
on the internet.
Short term stay, Pandora’s Box · 04.05.2015-12.06.2015 · 6 weeks
metafora
Application and Portfolio
Students apply to the International Workshop making use of the different application forms (available on
Metàfora’s web-page) relative to routes A, B/C or D. For more information, please visit www.internationalworkshop.com
Metàfora will not review work submitted spontaneously without the support of an application-form.
Application material is submitted digitally to Metàfora via e-mail, and portfolios are preferred as web-sites or
blogs. It is required to pay extra attention to file-size and file-compatibility, so that the reception of all documents is fast and problem-free.
The application form should be submitted in word-format (.doc or .docx), not pdf.
Portfolios should be representative of the most recent work, and may cover different disciplines and workareas. When reviewing applications, the Admissions Panel values good presentation.
Portfolio and documents necessary for each application:
Certificate in Studio Arts (route C) (- available for Short term)
•
•
•
•
•
•
Transcripts and other academic records (scanned)
Curriculum Vitae
Passport (scanned)
Recommendation letter from tutor or employer
Digital portfolio of 15-20 artworks (.jpeg, .ppt, .pdf or http address).
Written statement of 300-400 words (1-2 pages)
Foundation Studies in Studio Arts (route D) (- available for Short term)
•
•
•
•
Transcripts and other academic records (scanned)
Passport (scanned)
Digital portfolio of 10-15 artworks (.jpeg, .ppt, .pdf or http address).
Written statement of 250 words (1 page)
Short term stay, Pandora’s Box · 04.05.2015-12.06.2015 · 6 weeks
metafora
Fees
The fees of the International Workshop are paid at different moments and can be divided into several concepts: Reservation fee, Basic Tuition, Area-electives and Studio Space.
Reservation fee
This fee is due upon admission to the International Workshop. This reservation-fee is paid in addition to
tuition and is not refundable. For short term stays, the reservations fee is 50% of the total.
Basic Tuition, Area-electives and Studio Space
The remaining fees are due 14 weeks before the beginning of the course: Basic Tuition / Area-electives
(the classes in techniques and materials) / personal studio-space.
Others
The cost of the course does not include materials, although there are samples available in the classes
where new techniques are introduced. The fees do not cover the cost of accommodation and living in
Barcelona. Scholarships are available in the form of reduced tuition. For information on Metàfora’s Award
scheme, please contact Metàfora.
Students on route A, B and C can choose between different study options where Area-electives and personal studio-space are optional. Students on route D sign up for the Full Option (including Area-electives
and studio-space). For more information, please visit www.international-workshop.com
Short Stays, 6 weeks
Short term stay, “Pandora’s Box, ... on taking risks”
4th of May to 5th / 12th of June 2015, 6 weeks
Booking fee
Basic tuition
Area-electives
Studio space
Total fees
Full Option
No area electives
No studio space Only Basic Tuition
540,00
540,00
540,00
540,00
480,00
480,00
480,00
480,00
192,00
192,00
192,00
192,00
1.404,00
1.212,00
1.212,00
1.020,00
Short term stay, Pandora’s Box · 04.05.2015-12.06.2015 · 6 weeks
metafora
Payment Facilities and Conditions
Pre-registration / reservation fee
It is essential that the student reserves a place on the course by paying the pre-registration indicated in the
information of each course. The final section of this document specifies the details of payment terms.
Metàfora does not guarantee a place without a reservation, and the pre-registration fee is not returned in
any case.
A letter of admission is required in order for the student to reserve a place on the course. Upon admission, the participant will receive an invoice which specifies the amount payable and payment deadline. If
this deadline is not met (and if Metàfora is not notified about the delay in writing), the student may lose the
place and / or pass on to a waiting list.
If the student wishes to defer his/her registration (see details below) the pre-registration fee remains valid
for a maximum of 12 months, counting from the beginning of the course which the student originally enrolled.
Tuition fees
Students must pay the remaining total enrolment-fee 15 days prior to the start of the course. For bank
transfers, it is essential to send a payment receipt to Metàfora. If the student fails to pay within the due
date, he/she can risk losing the place on the course and / or pass on to a waiting list. Once started on the
course, there is no possibility of refund of the tuition fees (or part of them) if the student wishes to cancel
his/her stay at Metàfora.
Postponing the start of the course
If the student is unable to attend the course to which he/she has enrolled, the amount paid as pre-registration remains valid for a maximum of 12 months. During this period the student can sign up for new editions
of the same course subject to availability.
To cancel attendance and defer course start, the student must notify Metàfora in writing at least 6 weeks
before the start of the course for which he/she originally signed up.