Marres Maastricht, is a contemporary art institute with an international reputation. Its focus lies on exploring the senses.

In every discipline we use our senses, often without giving it a second thought. Being aware of how we use our senses and to train our sensory knowledge would be beneficial. But how precisely are the senses part of disciplines or fields of work like law, medical science and practice, business, marketing, arts and culture? What kind of training might strengthen sensory knowledge and how could different disciplines and the arts inform each other here?

In multidisciplinary teams, students will be invited to answer the question: ‘To what extent is sensory knowledge used in my future field of work?’ We will kick-off the project by visiting the art exhibition at Marres. Afterwards the students can start their research by finding relevant articles and interviewing professionals to gain insight in how people use the senses in their field of expertise. This way students get the chance to contribute to Marres’ research regarding art, culture and sensory knowledge. This program gives students the opportunity to look behind the scenes of an art institute, to meet students from other fields with a shared interest in art and to think out-of-the-box and get creative in this non-typical research.

We welcome all students who have an affinity with the arts and wish to broaden their knowledge in unorthodox ways. Organization skills, enthusiasm and an active attitude are required.

Marres, House for Contemporary Culture, Maastricht, is an arts organization with an international reputation. Located in the center of Maastricht, it features intimate art spaces, a beautiful garden and a wonderful restaurant. Although Marres is generally known as a center for contemporary visual arts, it prides itself on showing all kinds of artistic practices. Its intellectual focus lies on exploring the senses.

Museum audiences are generally contemplative, whereas the exhibitions and practices at Marres require often an active public. By designing ways to stimulate visitors to become more active in the exhibitions, we believe they become also more conscious of the workings of the senses and the development of a vocabulary that articulates a wide variety of sensory experiences beyond (but not excluding) the visual. In collaboration with Maastricht University, Marres contributes to a network for sensory studies that aligns with the city’s reputation as city of the senses.