This course provides students of art history and curatorial studies with applied knowledge of curatorial and exhibition-making processes, and understanding of current issues in the Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums (GLAM) sector. In seminars led by ANU staff, curators and GLAM professionals, students will learn about current exhibition-making policy and practice. In accompanying workshops students will extend their learning through applied exercises and participatory tasks, developing important transferrable skills. Where possible, students will engage in object-based learning activities through access to the School of Art & Design and ANU art collections (subject to access conditions). Throughout this course, students will encounter, observe and learn about the inter-related activities that make creating and visiting art exhibitions both educative and enjoyable. Please note: Due to the applied and practical nature of this course, changes to the assessment tasks and/or class formats may be required at short notice.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- critically describe the respective and inter-related roles of GLAM professionals in developing and presenting exhibitions;
- critically evaluate the practical and conceptual premises behind exhibitions and creative programming;
- conceive of and develop independent curatorial and program proposals, in response to real-world scenarios;
- identify and critically analyse the curatorial and exhibition-making processes and requirements of different types of GLAM institutions; and
- plan and apply key techniques of artwork care and exhibition installation.
Work Integrated Learning
Fieldwork
Students will engage with curatorial operations across art galleries on campus (Drill Hall; School of Art and Design; China in the World; Classics Museum), and off campus (National Gallery, NPG, NLA, CCAS).
Indicative Assessment
- Applied exhibition proposal, 1500 words (25) [LO 3,4,5]
- Public programs proposal, 1000 words (20) [LO 3,4]
- Final reflective analysis essay, 2000 words (45) [LO 1,2,4]
- Individual participation in course activities (10) [LO 1,2,3,4,5]
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
260 hours of total student learning time made up from:
a) 48 hours of contact over 12 weeks, comprising lectures, seminars, workshops, tutorials and/or peer-to-peer learning sessions; and
b) 212 hours of independent student research, reading and writing.
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
Required readings will be made available via Wattle.
Preliminary Reading
Recommended Books:
Bruce Altshuler, Collecting the new: museums and contemporary art, Princeton, NJ, 2005.
Charles Green and Anthony Gardner, Biennales, Triennials and Documenta: The Exhibitions that Created Contemporary Art, Wiley-Blackwell, 2016.
Robert R. Janes and Richard Sandell, Museum Activism, Abingdon, Oxon; New York, NY: Routledge, 2019.
Paula Marincola (ed), What Makes a Great Exhibition? Philadelphia Exhibition Initiative, Philadelphia, 2008.
Brian O’Doherty, Inside the White Cube, Lapis Press, Santa Monica, 1976.
Paul O’Neill, The Culture of Curating and the Curating of Culture(s), The MIT Press, Cambridge, 2012.
Karsten Schubert, The Curator’s Egg, One-Off-Press, London, 2000.
Terry Smith, Thinking Contemporary Curating, Independent Curators International, New York 2012.
Recommended Journals:
Curator
Journal of Museum Education (available online through ANU library)
Museum Anthropology (available online through ANU library)
Museum Management and Curatorship (available online through ANU library)
Collection and Curation (available online through ANU library)
Journal of Curatorial Studies (available online through ANU library)
Assumed Knowledge
Ability to undertake art historical research and visual analysis.Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 14
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $4080 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $5280 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
First Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3792 | 19 Feb 2024 | 26 Feb 2024 | 05 Apr 2024 | 24 May 2024 | In Person | View |
