Degree awarded: Master of Arts HES-SO in Fine Arts, major in Arts in Public Spheres + Sound

MAPS + S (Master of Arts in Public Spheres + Sound) is for artists who want to explore the relationships between art and the environmental, political and media dimensions of the public sphere.
This two-year programme is affiliated with the HES-SO and is delivered across multiple sites, with Sierre as its base. It focuses on displacement, travel and experimentation, including sound practices as a way of listening.

Stations

MAPS+S consists of eight annual stations. These sessions, lasting from seven to ten days, take the students’ work as a starting point to foster artistic reflection and collective exchange. These nodal moments interweave diverse modalities of (un)learning — from research activities, seminars and workshops to screenings, performances and exhibitions, from interventions in the public sphere and territorial explorations to collective discussions and individual mentoring.
The stations encourage an intensive, collective and situated approach to study. During the stations, students engage with the public sphere through interventions, research, listening practices, the study of critical approaches to environmental and social issues, and the exploration of writing and publishing as artistic practices.
Between stations, artists develop their research independently or within self-organised and financially supported study groups, accompanied by faculty members.

Place and displacement

Sierre in the Canton of Valais acts as the base of the MAPS+S programme. The valley and its Alpine landscape bear witness to its (post-)industrial development, making Sierre an international laboratory for studying the effects of climate and environmental change. This context supports the activities of the programme, with a dedicated framework and facilities including artists’ studios and laboratories for wood, ceramics, sound, screen printing and bookbinding. A new campus is currently under construction and scheduled to open in summer 2027.
Students develop their studies through partnerships with art institutions and spaces in Switzerland and abroad, building on the long-term relationships maintained by the programme, and through study trips to cities such as Marseille, Athens, Venice, Palermo, Milan or Turin.
Other stations create formats that bring together students from different art master’s programmes for artistic exchange.

Exhibitions

Exhibitions bring artistic practice into dialogue with current discourses and publics. This is a core concern of the master’s programme, which is grounded in the public sphere. Each year, an exhibition is organised in collaboration with an institution, such as Le Manoir de la Ville de Martigny or La Grenette de la Ferme-Asile in Sion. Financial support is provided to produce artistic works presented in the jury and diploma exhibitions.

Artistic research

Another fundamental aspect of the programme is identifying recurring questions, issues and ruptures arising from research and taking them as a basis for artistic practice, to be refined, contextualised and understood in terms of their relevance and societal permeability. In this context, exchanges with the IRAV – EDHEA’s research institute – strengthen the connections between artistic research, multidisciplinary methods, teaching and experimental practices. These exchanges offer a solid foundation for artists engaged in a reflective and critical pursuit of their work.

Multilingualism

Sierre is a linguistic crossroads, situated at the intersection of different language regions and connected to Italy. This makes it unique as a place to explore different cultural and discursive practices.
The MAPS+S programme is grounded in multilingualism, with a focus on French, English and German. Group discussions are generally held in French or English. The thesis can be written in French, English, German or Italian, depending on the languages spoken by the teaching staff and students.
Moving between languages has also become common practice and an essential part of the programme, both as a teaching tool and as a reflection of the programme’s plurality.

Aspects of sound

Sound and listening practices are a core dimension of education and research at EDHEA. This focus is particularly evident in the Sound major of the Visual Arts degree, centred on creation, experimental research and critical reflection on sound.
In this context, MAPS+S students benefit from a team active in the field of sound practices, as well as from dedicated technical infrastructure. These synergies substitute interaction between contemporary sound practices and artistic research, enabling interdisciplinary projects to emerge through exchanges, workshops and collaborations.

Residencies, prizes and opportunities

At the end of the programme, a jury of partners awards several prizes and residencies to students whose dissertations stand out for their quality and the commitment shown. This support facilitates the continuity of artistic projects created during the course and encourages their dissemination in other contexts.

Graduates

MAPS+S graduates have participated in numerous exhibitions, founded independent publishing houses, and explored new forms of publication in which art, design and research.
Some have also launched independent artistic projects or developed collective, interdisciplinary structures, shaping practices attentive to contemporary issues, whether social, ecological, political or territorial.

Participants and partners

The programme is fluid and evolves over the course of the academic year, welcoming guests from a wide range of artistic backgrounds.
Recent guest artists, researchers, curators and authors include Mohamed Abdelkarim, Noor Abuarafeh, Lara Almarcegui, Benoît Antille, Astarti Athanasiadou & Stéphane Verlet-Bottéro (The School of Mutants), Andrea Bellini, Déborah Bron, Caterina Gianciracusa, Javier González Pesce, Toni Hildebrandt, Anne Jean-Richard Largey, Pauline Julier, Dominique Koch, Elke Krasny, Nicole L'Huillier, Anne Le Troter, Daphné Le Sergent, Isabel Lewis, Ioana Lupascu, Silvia Maglioni & Graeme Thomson, Laura von Niederhäusern, Eric Philippoz, Sébastien Robert, Steven Schoch, Emil Sennewald, Asli Serbest & Mona Mahall, Camille Sevez, Aria Spinelli, Evelyn Steiner, Adam Sutherland, Julia Tamaracz, Riikka Tauriainen, Steve Van de Bosch and Natsuko Uchino.

Recent partners include Biennale Son (Valais), Le Manoir de la Ville de Martigny, La Ferme-Asile and the Cantonal Museums of Valais, Quartier Général (La Chaux-de-Fonds), CAN – Centre d’art Neuchâtel, Volumes (Zurich), the Istituto Svizzero (Rome), the Vilnius Academy of Arts, the Nida Art Colony (Lithuania) and the Fondazione Pistoletto (Biella, Italy).

Modules

Dean of the Fine Arts

Vittorio Parisi

Head of the MAPS + S (Master of Arts in Public Spheres + Sound)

Petra Koehle and Nicolas Vermot-Petit-Outhenin

Guests 2025/26

Andrea Bellini, Giulia Essyad, Caterina Giansiracusa, Zahra Malkani, Sébastien Robert, Julia Taramarcaz

More Information

Admission

Admission is competitive.

Entry requirements
The admission requirements for the HES-SO Master’s degree in Fine Arts are: BA degree or equivalent academic qualifications/experience.

Registration fee
In order to guarantee the validation of their registration, candidates have to pay the registration fee of CHF 150.– when they apply.

Application
Your application must include:

• a cover letter outlining your artistic experience and previous training, your educational goals and your artistic and theoretical interests in the public sphere (max. 2 pages);
• a full CV;
• a project proposal for your Master’s degree that details your research questions and references in the field (max. 3 pages);
• a portfolio of your recent work and projects (max. 25 pages);
• a reference letter;
• a completed application form;
• a copy or a scan of your diplomas/certificates;
• a or a scan copy of your ID document (passport or ID card).

Application
The applications have to be submitted online by March 23, 2026. Only completed and validated online forms will be considered.

Interview
A committee selects the candidates and invites them to an individual interview based on their application and research proposal. Admission interviews will take place on May 5 and 6, 2026. The selected candidates will be informed by email about the date and time of their interview.
Skype interviews can be arranged for candidates who live outside of Switzerland. Candidates are assessed based on their application, interview and research proposal. They will be informed individually by mail about the outcome of the interview.

Costs
Tuition fee: CHF 700.- per semester (CHF 1400.– per academic year) for students of Swiss nationality or tax residents in Switzerland. CHF 1050.- per semester (CHF 2100.– per academic year) for international students.
Contribution to education costs and other services: CHF 350.- per semester (CHF 700.– per academic year))

Information
For any information, please contact Petra Koehle or Nicolas Vermot-Petit-Outhenin, Head of the MAPS + S.

Information sessions

• Saturday, January 24, 2026: EDHEA open day
• Tuesday, January 27, 2026, 6:30 p.m.: online information session (link)
• Tuesday, February 24, 2026, 6:30 p.m.: online information session (link)