ABOUT

International Art Collaborations Network

Mission Statement – April 2020

Education today is faced with the task of developing socially and culturally sustainable models in an era where the challenges are global in scope. For arts and culture facilitators questions arise around how to use online spaces to provide engaging international experiences for students and colleagues? How does one share and preserve distinctive cultures and creative contexts when connecting online? And how, on graduation, might arts and media students find a foothold in global economies of artistic production?

Over the past 10 years students and professors at 8 universities around the world have engaged in meaningful international experiences under the name International Art Collaborations (INTAC) following an annual cycle of 8-month engagements. The current 2019 iteration of INTAC brings together 6 universities located in Finland, Mexico, Canada, Germany, South Korea and China.

The INTAC network provides a framework that empowers students to connect with one another, and through online communication, work together to collaborate on dynamic art projects. We employ a philosophy of open team-based exchange of ideas and materials through workspace platforms and social media combined with facilitated in-person meetings at each location. In this environment students develop projects under the guidance of their professors at each school, and are encouraged to become leaders in buildingnew relationships through the sharing of ideas and concepts that cross language and cultural differences.

The virtual learning experience fosters a contemporary take on traditional individualistic methods of art-making practices and prepares students to understand realities of cultural diversity and inter-dependence. Through the blending of online and face-to-face collaboration, students develop artworks that address a broad range of themes, effectively empowering them to work together and engage questions crucial to themselves and their international partners. As future professional image creators, they are better prepared to positively impact 21st century media environments.

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