Commissioned Critique is an ongoing series of essays commissioned by the Sandberg Instituut and semi-independently edited by Rosa te Velde and Huib Haye van der Werf. Commissioned authors include: Clare Butcher, Eloise Sweetman, Joseph Noonan-Ganley, Angela M. Bartholomew, Philip Coyne, Ayesha Ghanchi, Yolande van der Heide, Annee Grøtte Viken, Miriam Wistreich, Luiza Prado.

In this series of essays various authors reflect on issues specific to art and design MA programmes, as well as their (neo)liberal infrastructures, taking those of the Sandberg as their main case study.

Art schools today continuously need to prove, quantify, valorise, audit and measure their existence and usefulness, and are under constant threat of regulations and cuts. What does it mean to do an MA in art school today? What kinds of learning conditions could produce a generation of artists, designers and thinkers that can carve out spaces in a very real and uncertain world?

The Sandberg as an MA programme is known for its experimental, non-confirmative nature. The ‘freedom’ within the institution is both celebrated and criticised. This series is an ongoing attempt at encouraging deliberation and debate within the Sandberg, and beyond.