AHT1202 · Curating: Introduction

Overview

This unit is an introduction to curating intended for first-year students enrolled in the Bachelor of Art History and Curating degree. It aims to introduce you to key elements in the field of curating, including: the role of the curator; the site of the museum and gallery, the work undertaken there, and the roles of different staff at these institutions, such as conservator, registrar, and installer; the process of organising, viewing, and evaluating an exhibition; forms of curatorial mediation, from examining how exhibitions generate dialogue amongst artworks to writing curatorially about artworks and exhibitions. This unit will also introduce you to curatorial ethics and the relationship between the curator and the artist, including the studio visit and protocols for engaging Indigenous artists.

Offerings

Assessment

The Handbook does not list a final examination among the assessment items. That is not a guarantee there is none.

100% in-semester assessment

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Requisites

Learning outcomes

1. Define and understand the role of the curator within the ecology of the art world;
2. Analyse and discuss the broader functions and institutions of the art industry;
3. Critically analyse works of art or an exhibition and communicate findings in a variety of formats;
4. Conduct curatorial research into artistic or cultural production;
5. Identify socio-cultural concepts and issues in curatorial studies, including the ethical responsibilities of the profession.

Workload

12 hours per week including 4 contact hours plus 8 hours of independent study, or equivalent.

Student experience, not official rules. Nothing here changes what the Handbook says.