The event is a thematically and disciplinary open colloquium oriented towards the interests of the students. Here, the student individual as an actor at the centre of artistic study is taken seriously also from an academic angle. The declared aim is to bring the development of their own artistic and academic perspectives into a fruitful discourse with overarching social and cultural relevance.

Open Frame offers students of all degree programmes a platform to jointly discuss self-selected artistic and scientific topics or projects in whatever stage of development and form of presentation. Central challenges of our time are reflected from a political, social, media, technological, ecological or economic perspective together with invited guests. Moreover, in order to also do justice to the different professional goals of the students, invited alumnae and alumni of the University speak about their careers and about stumbling blocks and seized opportunities in their artistic biographies.

Under the direction of Prof. Dr.Nina Gerlach and Stefan Hölscher, Open Frame has been an integral part of art-related academic teaching at the University since 2017. The basic concern of the event – to bring together academic and artistic interests – is currently also being realised in other, irregular formats.

The concept of a colloquium across classes and with external guests has a long tradition at the University of Fine Arts Münster. Under the title “Kunst und Wissenschaft im Gespräch” (Art and Science in Conversation), it was originally conceived in a first form by Prof. Dr. Gerd Blum and founded in cooperation with Stefan Hölscher and Prof. Dr. Claudia Blümle in 2010, with the latter running the event for years. The following persons also regularly participated in this colloquium: Prof. Dr. Birgit Engel, Prof. Dr.Erich Franz, Prof. Dr. Georg Imdahl and Prof. Dr. Jürgen Stöhr.

Suggestions for improvements to the format and offers for presentations are always welcome: Prof. Dr. Nina Gerlach and Stefan Hölscher.