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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2021/2022

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : Edinburgh College of Art : Art

Postgraduate Course: Themes in Contemporary Art (ARTX11044)

Course Outline
SchoolEdinburgh College of Art CollegeCollege of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) AvailabilityNot available to visiting students
SCQF Credits40 ECTS Credits20
SummaryThis core course enables you to consider and make your own contribution to the field of contemporary art through a series of short Class Assignments that run over the duration of the semester. Each academic year, new themes in contemporary theory and practice are identified for individual and group research through workshops, e-tivities, group crits and tutorials. The themes are chosen to focus your consideration of contemporary art's increasingly diverse subject-matter and methods.
Course description Group seminars, crits and tutorials will help you to critically re-assess your understanding of the field of contemproary art, to re-conceptualise and present your work in relation to this rapidly expanding field. In the research you will carry out for the seminars you will work collaboratively with studio students on researching and presenting your responses to the chosen themes, as well as working independently in theory only groups. Some teaching will be jointly delivered with the TPG Methods course.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2021/22, Not available to visiting students (SS1) Quota:  None
Course Start Semester 1
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 400 ( Lecture Hours 40, Seminar/Tutorial Hours 20, External Visit Hours 2, Online Activities 4, Feedback/Feedforward Hours 4, Summative Assessment Hours 2, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 8, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 320 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment) One Project Book containing:

a. A Portfolio that documents and clearly presents how you approached each of the short Class Assignments that have taken place over the duration of the course.

b. A Critical Analysis of the Portfolio. The Critical Analysis text cannot exceed 2,500 words. The word limit does not include footnotes, bibliography or Figs.

Learning Outcomes 1, 2 and 3 are assessed by the Project Book submission. All three learning outcomes are equally weighted to derive the overall mark for the course.
Feedback Formative feedback in group seminars.
Summative feedback at end of semester 1 addressing each LO for submitted essay and seminar particpation and presentations during semester.
No Exam Information
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Demonstrate and present evidence of a high level of scholarly and independent research into contemporary art theories and practices.
  2. Demonstrate that you can reflect upon and critically analyse a range of contemporary art theories and practices.
  3. Demonstrate the ability to organise, visualise and realise your own responses to contemporary art theory and practice.
Reading List
Kalb, P, Art Since 1980: Charting the Contemporary, Pearson, 2014.

Kocur, Zoya. and Leung, Simon. Theory in Contemporary Art: From 1985 to the Present, Blackwell Publishing, 2004.

Kholeif, O et al (2014) You are Here - Art after the Internet, Cornerhouse publication.

Cornell, Lauren and Halter, Ed, Mass Effect Art and internet in the twenty first century, MIT Press 2015.

Bishop, Claire, Artificial Hells: Participatory Art and the Politics of Spectatorship, Verso, 2013.

Steyerl, H, (2009), The Wretched of the Screen, Sternberg Press.

Turkle, S (2011). Alone Together. Basic Books.

Briadotti, R, The Posthuman Paperback 2013

Lovink, G, (2011), Networks without a Cause : A Critique of Social Media, Polity.

Krauss, C, I Love Dick, 2014, Serpent's Tail; Main edition (5 May 2016)

Krauss, C, Where Art Belongs, Semiotext, Feb 2011

Fisher, M (2009). Capitalist Realism. London: Zero Books.

Beradi, F (2009) The Soul at Work. MIT Press

Castells, M. (2000) The Rise of the Network Society, Blackwell

Klein, Naomi. (2008) The shock doctrine : the rise of disaster capitalism. London : Penguin, 2008.

Davis, Mike. (2006). Planet of slums. London : Verso, 2006.

Harvey, D. A Brief History of Neoliberalism 2008.

Preciado, B, Testo Junkie : Sex, Drugs and Biopolitics in the Pharmacopornographic 2013.


Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills Knowledge that covers many of the main areas of contemporary practice, including their features, boundaries, terminology and conventions.

A critical, detailed and often leading knowledge and understanding at the forefront of contemporary art practice.

Knowledge and understanding that is generated through personal research or equivalent work that makes a significant contribution to the development of the contemporary art practice.

The ability to apply knowledge, skills and understanding in applying a range of standard and specialised research and/or equivalent instruments and techniques of enquiry.

The ability to apply knowledge, skills and understanding in using a significant range of the principal professional skills, techniques, practices and/or materials associated with contemporary art practice.

The ability to apply knowledge, skills and understanding in using and enhancing a range of complex skills, techniques, practices and/or materials that are at the forefront of contemporary art practice.

The ability to apply critical analysis, evaluation and synthesis to forefront issues, or issues that are informed by forefront developments in contemporary art practice.

The ability to critically review, consolidate and extend knowledge, skills, practices and thinking in contemporary art practice.
KeywordsContemporary art
Contacts
Course organiserProf Neil Mulholland
Tel: (0131 6)51 5881
Email: n.mulholland@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMs Georgia Dodsworth
Tel: (0131 6)51 5712
Email: georgia.dodsworth@ed.ac.uk
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