The International Summer Academy of Fine Arts Salzburg presents its current course programme. The Summer Academy sees itself as a place of COMMON GROUND and togetherness – a counterposition to the challenges raging in the world, formed through a purposely shared culture of discussion, artistic work and personal encounters. The diverse backgrounds and life-worlds of the individual participants come together for a brief period, enabling productive collaboration. The strength and the potential of the Summer Academy lies in this diversity, as well as in the age and education of the participants, leading to a unique exchange of ideas in which everyone benefits.

21 courses will be held in the two locations: Hohensalzburg Fortress and the Untersberg quarry.

Every year, the Summer Academy offers high-profile courses in the fields of WRITING and THEORY. Amongst others, we invite to classes with art critic, writer and editor LOUISA ELDERTON and to a course focused on lecture performance taught by MIRELA BACIAK and DENIS MAKSIMOV.

Detailed information on instructors and courses here: https://summeracademy.at/en/courses/

LOUISA ELDERTON
Art Writing: Developed and Distilled Upon the Page (Art Critique / Writing)
17–29 August 2026
This course centres the “art” in art writing and asks you to get up close and personal with why art matters to you. It focuses on language to ask what it means to write authentically and accessibly about your opinions on and experiences of art, and how to make that compelling for a reader.

MIRELA BACIAK / DENIS MAKSIMOV
The Stakes of Performing Knowledge (Lecture Performance)
3–15 August 2026
Does lecture performance have the potential to serve as a meeting point for critical humanities? We will look into lecture performances by, among others, John Cage, Andrea Fraser, Hito Steyerl, Laurie Anderson, and Christian Nyampeta, and consider diverse aspects of the power of shaping discourse between performers, audiences, and contexts of the presentation.

SCHOLARSHIPS
The Summer Academy offers numerous scholarships, most of them covering the participation fee, while some include also travel and accommodation expenses. A jury, together with the instructors, will award the scholarships. The application deadline is 7 April 2026.
Further information about the scholarships here:
https://summeracademy.at/en/scholarships/

APPLICATION
Anyone interested (PhD students, research assistants, curators, art critics, freelancers, etc.) can apply as no degrees are required and will submit to a selection process in which the instructors decide on who will be accepted. All applications received till 1 May 2026 will be treated equally in the selection process; after 1 May, they are considered according to the number of available places.
Further information and online application here:
https://summeracademy.at/en/application/

COURSE FEES
Two-weeks course 670 Euro (495 Euro), three-weeks course 890 Euro (635 Euro). Reduced fees are eligible for students, welfare recipients or others, and members of the Verein der Freunde.

Salzburg International Summer Academy of Fine Arts
P.O. Box 527, 5010 Salzburg, Austria
Tel. +43 (0)662 842113
https://www.summeracademy.at/en/