There are no prerequisites for this course.

Since the late 1960s, a variety of new art forms have developed internationally, which for the sake of convenience are often referred to by the umbrella term 'ecological art'. In recent decades, these trends have accelerated, partly under the influence of alarming reports about climate change and the continuing degradation of biodiversity. Various generations of artists have responded by actively addressing ecological issues. Many artists have even initiated strategies to actively intervene in (local) ecological systems - often connecting different fields of science, communities, politicians, policy makers and financiers.

The lectures and workshops start from the practice of visual arts and ask the question how artists can bring about change. We pay attention to relevant trends in the field of nature and the environment and examine the work of pioneering eco-artists through close readings, among other things. Phenomena that will be discussed include permaculture, the global Transition movement and the phenomenon of 'ecovillages'. Equally, recent developments within the field of garden and landscape architecture will be presented. In the form of case studies in and around the Academy, the student then sets out to investigate and find ways of effecting change on a small scale in the everyday environment. By formulating achievable action points, we hope to be able to actually implement proposals. A writing exercise and a paper are part of Making Change.