KMD Moves

The Faculty of Fine Art, Music and Design (KMD) at the University of Bergen was established on 1 January 2017. The faculty's tasks are education, artistic and scientific research, and dissemination.

KMD’s academic and artistic activities are organised in three departments:

  • The Art Academy – Department of Contemporary Art
  • The Grieg Academy ­– Department of Music
  • Department of Design
     

KMD is an innovative and open community that values art, music, and design as essential for individuals and society.

KMD educates future artists, designers, curators, performing musicians, composers, music therapists, musicologists and educators.

KMD is a driving force in artistic and scholarly research.

KMD emphasizes diversity, sustainability and ethics in all our activities.

KMD is a significant contributor and an attractive partner locally, nationally and internationally.

Knowledge Moves

Artistic Research, Scholarly Research and Innovation

KMD contributes to society's knowledge readiness.  

KMD is an active player in the internationally oriented comprehensive university.

KMD fosters spaces for interdisciplinary sharing of knowledge and experience.

We will:

  • Protect academic freedom in all our artistic and scientific research and dissemination.
  • Be a leader in international contexts for artistic development work, and research in music therapy, musicology, and arts education.
  • Strengthen socially relevant research and innovation in art, music, and design.
  • Lead and take part in larger research projects in collaboration with local, national, and international participants.
  • Contribute to the development of research ethics in our fields.
  • Enhance open research and access to open research data.
  • Strengthen distribution and publication of peer-reviewed research.
  • Anchor research education in strong and consolidated professional environments with high-quality supervisory competence.
  • Contribute to good career opportunities for our young researchers.

The Students Move

Education

KMD prepares graduates with future-oriented skills to thrive in diverse professional fields.

KMD's research-based education emphasizes independence, collaboration, critical thinking and individual development.

We will:

  • Stimulate artistic and scholarly curiosity and in-depth study.
  • Ensure an inclusive learning environment where students participate actively.
  • Strengthen KMD as an attractive place of study for Norwegian and international students.
  • Facilitate interdisciplinarity in education.
  • Strengthen KMD as an arena for lifelong learning.
  • Promote educational quality where everyone is a valuable contributor.
  • Stimulate student active learning and the development of new forms of learning.
  • Include the students in research and innovation.

External Interaction

Communication and Dissemination

KMD is an internationally oriented arena for sharing knowledge and artistic expression.  

We will:

  • Disseminate the full breadth of our artistic and scholarly activities through exhibitions, concerts, performances, seminars, projects, and publications.
  • Co-locate and be an inspiring meeting place in Bergen’s new district Møllendal.
  • Be an active and attractive partner in Bergen, a key Norwegian city of culture and knowledge.
  • Develop future-oriented digital dissemination and storage platforms adapted to our areas of expertise.
     

Room for movement

Organisation, Culture, Structure

KMD has a good and engaging learning and working environment that gives students and staff opportunities for professional and personal development.

KMD promotes openness, inclusion, dialogue and sharing.

We will:

  • Invite critical reflection, expressions, and debate.
  • Facilitate good democratic processes that involve both students and staff.
  • Promote good psychosocial learning and working environment.
  • Facilitate presence and participation on campus.
  • Advocate for students’ and employees’ rights and obligations.
  • Strengthen the organisation’s ability to change and adapt.
  • Organize departments and faculty to ensure quality, efficiency, and flexibility.
  • Further develop future-oriented and innovative infrastructure for students and staff.

History

KMD was originally three independent institutions. Its history can be briefly summarised as follows:

1905
Bergen Music Academy was founded. It later became Bergen Music Conservatory. Taken over by the state in 1981.

1909
Bergen School of Applied Art was founded. From 1988 the National College of Art and Design.

1971
Studieeatelieret (a private visual arts education) was founded. From 1973: The National Academy of Fine Arts. Taken over by the state in 1981.

1995
Bergen Music Conservatory became part of the University of Bergen (UiB) and was renamed the Grieg Academy – Department of Music.

1996
The National Academy of Fine Arts and the National College of Art and Design were merged to form Bergen National Academy of the Arts (KHiB). It changed its name to Bergen Academy of Art and Design (still abbreviated KHiB) in 2012.

2017
KHiB merged with UiB and forms KMD together with the Grieg Academy.

Departments


The Faculty of Fine Art, Music and Design (KMD) at the University of Bergen was established on 1 January 2017. The faculty’s responsibilities are education, artistic research, scholarly research and dissemination within the discipline area of the arts, which here comprise art, music and design.

KMD’s activities are organised in three departments:

The Art Academy – Department of Contemporary Art
The Grieg Academy ­– Department of Music
Department of Design

ART

The Art Academy – Department of Contemporary Art offers an active and international learning environment where students’ own artistic practice and reflection are in focus. It is possible for the students to explore a wide range of artistic forms of expression and to develop through production, supervision and critical discussion.

The department has core expertise in eight focus areas: painting and drawing, sculpture and installations, ceramics and clay, time-based art and performance, new media, textiles, printmaking  and photography.

The Art Academy also has a separate theory programme at both bachelor’s and master’s level. The department’s bachelor programme has students from the whole of Scandinavia. The master’s programmes in art and curatorial practice recruit students from all over the world.

MUSIC

The Grieg Academy – Department of Music offers great variety and multidisciplinary strength through its wide-ranging study programmes and research in performance, composition, musicology, music therapy and music education. Activities range from music as autonomous artistic expression within a number of different genres to inclusive music practices.

The department’s profile within music performance is based on strong, internationally recognised environments in jazz, classical and traditional music. The department offers an education in traditional music in cooperation with the Ole Bull Academy at Voss and it administers the Arne Bjørndal archives.

Knowledge about music and health is developed at the Grieg Academy’s Centre for Music and Health (GAMUT). GAMUT is a collaboration with NORCE and is an internationally leading research environment. Musicology at the Grieg Academy is an interdisciplinary field of study that includes methods from both the humanities and social sciences. 

DESIGN

‘We think with our hands.’ The Department of Design has study programmes and conducts research in furniture design, spatial design / interior architecture and visual communication. By experimenting and exploring materials, tools, processes and methods, new, challenging designs are created that cross professional boundaries and develop new forms of expression. We cooperate internationally and have an international environment of staff and students.

We have three unifying values:

  • Sustainable development and an understanding of global relations
  • People-friendly and environmentally friendly structures and materials
  • Humanistic and ethical communication


The department promotes values that prioritise the environment and equality as the basis for culture, social systems and institutions. Design is a tool for diverse discussions and the department asks critical questions about established truths. Our education aims to encourage experimentation and an open attitude to development, as well as respecting students’ ideas and interests within the framework of subject courses and context.