If this seminar were about how to live and succeed as an artist, it would address how to build a career in the arts. Most such seminars (as well as books, online courses, and talks) don't question what it means to succeed. Achievements like having an exhibition at MoMA or the Venice Biennale, an article in Artforum, a contract with Hauser & Wirth, or selling art for significant sums would typically be seen as clear indicators of success. And they are—but only in a very, very limited sense.

Success can mean many different (and potentially deeper) things: connecting with members of a community rather than having a massive following on social media, deeply moving a few people rather than being name-dropped by many, transforming oneself rather than being transformed by the market.

This seminar is about how to live and succeed like an artist, exploring these deeper notions. It asks how to live a life that is desirable not according to some general standard, but based on a personal standard that can be defined and redefined throughout a life.

Together, we will embark on a quest for our artistic paths, discussing different possibilities and experimenting with new ways of seeing ourselves and acting as artists. In this sense, living like an artist is something a banker, business consultant, accountant, or doctor might also want to pursue. In fact, many collectors are fascinated by artists’ lifestyles, and wanting to get close to artists is often cited as a reason for collecting. Living like an artist can mean taking more time to reflect and arriving at a more original perspective. It can mean living a life of detachment or fully committing to a cause—whether that is fighting climate change or painting the current date in white on a black canvas every day.

To guide our explorations, we will read passages of Derek Sivers' book How to Live. In it, Sivers describes many radically different ways of living. We will then try to find out how these ways to live translate to artistic choices -- or artist's life choices.

We will supplement our readings with texts by other writers on the same topic, as well as by examining the life choices made by artists.

At the end of the seminar, we will present our outcomes in the form of artworks (or any other suitable format) in a venue to be announced.

Some things only bear fruit if you fully commit. This seminar is one of them. It is open to participants from all disciplines, though students of Skulptur und Raum have priority. If registrations exceed available seats, a selection process will take place.

PLEASE NOTE: The sessions have a more theoretical-discursive and a more practical-artistic aspect. Please bring tools for drawing or any other tools needed for artistic explorations you might want to use during the session!

Based on Sivers' blueprint, we will probably discuss at least the following approaches to life:
Be independent; Commit; Do whatever you want now; Master something; Reinvent yourself regularly; Let randomness rule; Chase the future

To validate the seminar, your attendance has to be over 70% (5 sessions). Außerdem müssen Sie die gestellten Aufgaben erfüllen und am Ende des Semesters ein (proto-)künstlerisches Projekt präsentieren.