Open call 2025
A two year programme with weekly online seminars, five in-person residencies of ten days, project development and tutorials.
The Food and Art altMA is a unique two-year course focusing on food practices as political subjects in contemporary art and culture. We navigate the intersection of culinary histories, socially engaged art, political discourse and ecological understandings to critically explore contemporary tensions and possibilities through food.
The teaching combines in-house classes addressing foundational aspects of food and art, guest lectures from some of the most relevant minds in the field, residencies in collaboration with cutting-edge institutions or organisations, group discussions, individual tutorials, and possibilities for public presentations.
September 2025–May 2027 / 30/35 participants per cohort / Online weekly seminars and five in-person residencies.
Methodology
Through a series of lectures, residencies, practical exercises and projects, we will pursue interdisciplinary modes of knowledge sharing and exchange, while fostering opportunities for sustained growth and collective thinking. The theoretical content of our programme is not always specifically about food, but about what we consider crucial for a food-art practice. We aim to create an atmosphere of trust and safety, in order to help form a tight knit community of critically engaged, curious and rooted thinkers and makers. Joining this altMA means to enter into a cosmos of continued support, generosity and care, well beyond the end of the learning programme.
Structure
The majority of this programme is held online, in the form of lectures, guest speaker presentations, conversations and one-to-one or group tutorials. References and reading materials are made available in advance, which participants are encouraged to read/engage with.
Once per term (except during term five), participants are invited to join us on an in-person residency: ten days of practice-based learning and local research through workshops and field trips, held at different institutions, collectives or platforms. The residencies are fundamental in order to strengthen bonds between participants, and offer a chance for experimentation and development of the participants’ projects.
Throughout the year, participants have the opportunity to further develop their project, with online support from one-to-one tutorials and cross crits by peers. At the end of the altMA, we will work towards an optional exhibition together. This is a chance to showcase the participants’ research and projects and share it with the public. The exhibition can take the form of a dinner, a show of physical artworks, a publication, a film etc. The shape and form of it will be built collectively during the altMA, following the progress of the participants.
Guest speakers
Our roaster of speakers include ruangrupa, Carolyn Steel, Michael Marder, Darren le Baron, Grandeza Studio, Federico Campagna, Eduardo Castillo-Vinuesa from Foodscapes, the Institute for Genomic Gastronomy, Non Human Non-Sense, etc.
Applications
Prospective participants are asked to fill out a form on our website, sharing their contact details, a short paragraph on why they are applying for the altM.A., some examples of previous work and a short description of a project in-progress or idea for a work they’d like to develop as part of the course. Please note we just use the project proposal to be able to get an idea of how your ind works, and it does not mean that is the project you will necessarily develop during the studies.
Applications close March 23, 2025, with participants notified by April 2023.
Enrolment
Successful applicants for the full altMA will be given a maximum of ten days upon receiving the acceptance letter to pay for their course to secure their place. Please make sure you are ready to enrol by April. Instalment payments will be available depending on your bank and country of residence. Unfortunately, we are not able to offer any instalment plans that are not operated automatically. The cost for the full altMA is 2800 EUR per year, a total of 5600 EUR.
For the online course, participants will be able to simply purchase access directly, without application. The cost of the online access only is 650 EUR per year, a total of 1300 EUR.
For more information please visit here: https://www.thegramounce.com
Or email us on kitchen [at] thegramounce.com.
