First Year Dérives and Bridge Sessions
During their first year, students in studio and seminar classes are given assignments to pursue independently over several weeks, during which time they complete multiple dérives, a practice of observation developed by French philosopher Guy Debord. They then come together for bridge sessions, essential exercises in which students receive feedback from their peers and instructors. These key criticisms contribute to their growth as designers and artists.
For their first Project, entitled Memoir of a Dérive, students were encouraged to explore the city of Paris and open themselves up to new personal and sensoriel experiences. They took trips to places such as the Jardin des Tuileries and the CentQuatre, an Art Center in Paris, where they collected data, pictures and found inspiration in sometimes unexpected sources. After four weeks, they produced a cross-disciplinary body of work based on their observations that they presented in their first bridge session to receive critiques and encouragement, and to promote reflection among all who attended.