Artworld: Contemporary Practice in Context (for Students of Fine Art)

Module Identifier: AHM1020
Module Title: Artworld: Contemporary Practice in Context (for Students of Fine Art)
Academic Year: 2027/2028
Semester: Semester 2 Taught over 2 semesters
Co-ordinator: Miss Miranda Whall
Reading List: View on Aspire
Exclusive (Any Acad Year): AHM0940
Other Staff: Professor Catrin Webster; Miss Miranda Whall; Dr Naomi Pearce; Dr Julian Ruddock

Assessment

Assessment Type	Assessment details	Proportion
Semester Assessment	Seminar presentation with bibliography: which situates the practice of a contemporary artist within contemporary debates and key theoretical contexts 20 Minutes	20%
Semester Assessment	Research Essay on one of the seminar topics: Essay and appendix 4000 Words	80%
Supplementary Assessment	Research Essay on one of the seminar topics: Essay and Appendix 4000 Words	80%
Supplementary Assessment	Seminar presentation with bibliography: which situates the practice of a contemporary artist within contemporary debates and key theoretical contexts 20 Minutes	20%

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module students should be able to:

Situate the production, curation, distribution and reception of contemporary art, including their own practice, in a cultural, political, and socio-economic context
Identify, define and debate key concepts of contemporary art discourse.
Access, review and document a broad range of subject-specific literature in print and online.
Write a critical essay informed by research and rooted in theory.

Brief description

Delivered as a series of group tutorials and seminars, this module offers a discussion and study forum on contemporary art practice for MA Fine Art students.

Semester 1 provides a series of group tutorials that prepare students for the weekly Artworld seminars in semester 2. The group tutorials in semester 1 serve as general introductions to contemporary art practice and today’s artworld; they provide key terminology for discussion and introduce students to the essentials of postgraduate research and writing.
In semester 2, students research the practice of established or emerging artists in relation to weekly topics and themes. The themed seminars situate the production, curation and distribution of contemporary art in cultural, political, and socio-economic contexts.Assessing a variety of recommended readings (e.g. artist statements, exhibition catalogues, reviews, theoretical/philosophical journal articles and art history essays) and conducting independent research, seminar members gather primary and secondary sources to explore the contexts of contemporary artists. The research is shared with fellow students during seminars and subsequently via Blackboard, providing all seminar members with an overview and assessment of specific aspects of contemporary art, as well as with a foundation for debates on current developments in the artworld. The research also serves as a basis for the final essay.

The seminar discussions are designed to prepare MA Fine Art students to re-examine their own art practice to develop artist statements informed by theory demonstrating the relevance of their work in contemporary contexts.

Content

This module will include, seminars group tutorials and lectures

Module skills

Skills type	Skills details
Communication	Articulating ideas through seminar discussions, annotated bibliography and research essay.
Improving own Learning and Performance	Independent study through seminar assignments, research and preparation for seminar presentation.
Information Technology	Information retrieval from various academic research portals and online museum collection databases.
Personal Development and Career planning	Demonstration of professionalism in research and MLA style documentation. Reassessment of artist statements in light of seminar discussions.
Problem solving	In seminar preparation and discussions, essay research and writing.
Research skills	In seminar preparation, bibliography and essay research and writing.
Subject Specific Skills	Interpretation of contemporary visual culture and theory in art historical contexts.
Team work	Collaborating on gathering of sources, sharing of annotated bibliographies in seminar discussions.

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 7