Interview - Directeur de l'université d'arts de Pragues.

What are the specific points of pedagogy here?

It’s very difficult because, you know, we’re an artistic school, so we are very free. And each art is free and has his kind of teaching. So it depends on the artist who is teaching the students. And I have just have an organization frame. So we have to communicate and to know what’s the task of our actions and everybody is responsible for his way of teaching.

So there is a lot of freedom for teachers?

Oh yes. I think it’s very important for teachers to have freedom because it’s the first quality of art. And pedagogy is a problem of freedom. Yes.

Maybe in that way, which is very important, are there any points which are more difficult to work with?

Of course. Freedom is the most difficult behavior. Because if you have freedom you can do also nothing. It’s not forbidden to do nothing but the pedagogic person tries to get the motivation for work, to work harder, so I think the most important pedagogic principle is to motivate a student to work. To give them, to communicate a good atmosphere to produce a sense that everybody thinks that it’s important to communicate, to come and to work. This is the most important pedagogic principle, to work with freedom.

How do you manage with all that freedom to be in the Bologna system?

We are not so far. We have a very traditional art studies, just two degrees, a master degree and a doctor degree and we are going to change it next year. We are preparing a structure of studies with three steps to be able to communicate with Europe. But not only because of the Europe problem, but it’s also important for us to establish this study because many artists, or many students could leave earlier the studies to make money, or not, but also maybe because they are wrong on the school, or because they recognize it’s not correct for them. It’s important to have something closed after three years and maybe to leave the school and try to live. To follow somewhere else or to get people from other schools .

And are the teachers, who are actually very free, aware of what happens in other universities? Are there any links?

We have many contacts with other universities, maybe too many. We have thirty six contracts. But I don’t think that all of them are used. We have to make a selection to get really usable contact and use them really; I mean it was a lot of formality. We have sixty six contracts but I’m sure that more than fifty per cent are not used at all.

These are programs for students but for professors, is there anything like this?

Yes, there is also an organization called Cumulus, and there are many high schools, I think more that one hundred. But it’s also very formal. You have to find three four five schools, with which you are compatible, you can really exchange, you have the same tasks and the same problems, and you communicate with people, you have to know them personally, to have a real friendship. And I think we are going to evolve, to find it.

And I think that each professor has contacts on his own where somebody study, and they take students with them.

And I think that this is the best way to have contacts. This formal organization is nice but, you know, it’s just a frame for personal contacts.

Do you think that those contacts in Europe could show a new way of pedagogy?

I don’t know, maybe. I spent seven years in Germany, so I know the situation there. I mean, from both side you can learn, and have new experiences. I don’t think that in Western Europe they are further, that they know exactly what to do in the Art sphere. And I am sure that it’s the same here. They are maybe a bit more traditional but I know high schools and art schools in western Europe that are traditional too. So it depends on personalities. You have to find very good people, good artists who are involved in that learning process. And if you find them you can do new pedagogic experiences, and find new ways. I’m sure it depends on personalities.

Do you think our system in Europe can still be based on logical categories, like the Greek gave us the way to categorize world, and put knowledge in little boxes, while we created more knowledge in fifty years that since the beginning of Humanity?

Your question is for art or in general? Because for art it doesn’t work, I’m sure of it. You have to go another way, from the cores. You have to go in the anthological way in art to find new ways, I’m sure.

When creating or when describing?

I mean for creating, for describing you can use what you want for me it’s not interesting. Because I think that classification is made for describing things.

Pedagogy is like that. You have disciplines, you have history of art, And maybe philosophy, and other ones…. In architecture for example we have main design project and otherwise lectures, like history, and it’s like categories.

Ok you can use these categories, you can use these categories, but you have to put it inside an artist. You have to create links by yourself in a way that is not logic, for me. You have to find a new way wich is not logic because it‘s unexpectable. You find a new, illogic position.

You think the real position of students is to find that way?

Well, they should learn it, they should learn that this one way to find a solution for their problems. Not to expect that they can put mechanically together all these knowledge and the work is finished. It has to be mixed up totally. And have to be hold from another side, unexpected side.

So in your point of view it’s important to keep it separated and then to be mix it yourself.

Yes. I think so, this way could work. Each subject has to be contaminated by others. Even in science, you can learn all those details and all these categories but you have to think about it, if you want to find something new you have to mix up and to find new position not just to put it mechanically.

Do you think that’s the role of a school to create that kind of emulation between knowledge?

Maybe there is some position, some contemporary rules but they change, and though new knowledge you have to change the rules.

If you had to create a new school of art, what would it be like?

Like this! You know I’m just doing it, I’m very new here, for seven months, so I’m trying to change in the direction of my imagination.

One light in that direction?

So I’m trying to put a new structure of study, which is logic, which is open for all illogic imposes.

How is it possible?

Well, I can make a structure and try to find people, artists, who fill it. They make the connection. The structure is logic, but the people are illogic, they are artists!