Admittedly, the Superior Institute of Fine Arts (ISBA) has replaced the antiquated ERBA but none can go further without any memory and how could we neglect it when it inscribes itself that beautifully in a unique example of the architectural heritage from the 20th century that is our school? Therefore, the brand new green logo from a modernist inspiration, the result of the work from former students, is meant before all as a tribute to our building thought by José Luis Sert, prestigious disciple of Le Corbusier.
But this subtle building set of blocks and inclined walls would make no interest if it was not inhabited for the whole year with events that are all directed to your training: classes, colloquiums, conferences, workshops, exhibitions, “Jour du Feu”, “Excenticités” festival… as much different methods embedded in an active supporting pedagogy. The key idea that drives us is really to mobilize all our partners, in France and abroad, with our whole teaching team to make you gain consciously an authentic creative autonomy and this no matter what is the field of specialization you’ve chosen. From the first years of foundation course to your first steps in the research process, you take a path that should from now on lead you to the Master degree, a European diploma that allows you all possibilities such as “post-diplomas” or Doctorate degrees. In times of crisis, when it is sometimes difficult to feel secured when thinking about the future, what a better assurance than a training that aims less to the acquisition of mechanically repeated skills than to make you grownups from the most capable of adaptation.
Learning how to learn, training yourself to answer to constraints (to specifications or to materials), knowing how to convince through a work and the speech that situates and accompanies it, developing autonomy and, in a same move, how to work as a team, all these are assets that make and will make a graduated student with a Master degree in Art or Visual Communication a sought-after personality people listen to in a world perpetually changing.
Then, be proud of your “home” because ISBA also designates in Russian this wooden cabin that people own in the countryside where they can talk with true friends, between the “baniat” (sauna) and the logged terrace, at dawn after nights of fiery debates. We can allow ourselves anything such as calling to mind Tourgueniev or Tolstoï in the preface of a booklet where one would usually quote Duchamp or Filiou even if none of those two have missed to underline the mentoring aspect of becoming an artist. Yes! Do create solid and happy friendships. Do make those complicities grow to the point where one day words would be useless. In a word, live fully your schooling; take possession of your ISBA so that its spirit possesses you!
Welcome back to all of you for this new school year.
