In this course students extend their technical and theoretical skills in sculpture and spatial practice via set projects and conceptual prompts. Students will investigate the pivotal role of sculpture and spatial practice in contemporary art via studio projects which critique and activate the possibilities of sculpture. For example, students may engage with histories and theories of sculpture and spatial practice and its capacity to shape both architectural and social spaces. By reflecting on the histories and possibilities of sculpture and spatial practice, students will create work that puts sculpture and spatial practice in context and dialogue with contemporary art.
Students may complete this course up to four times for a maximum credit value of 24 units, provided they enrol in a different topic in each instance/semester. Please note that the course content, assessment structure, and reading list will change depending on the topic and the expertise of the lecturer convening the course. Please refer to the class summary for the specific term in which you wish to enrol for a detailed description.
Topics may include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Politics of Bodies: Sculpture, Figure Modelling, Performance and Choreography
- Politics of Spaces: Installation, Sculpture and Spatial Practice
This course introduces students to site-responsive installation as a conceptual framework to address the theme of monuments and monumentality. It explores contemporary artistic methods for responding to and intervening in existing sites and creating new spaces. Through conceptual and intuitive approaches, students use media most conducive to the project. Site responsive projects are ubiquitous in biennials and other contemporary art exhibitions around the world, and in developing their own projects, students will examine the genealogy of art practice that current approaches have developed from and consider new directions.
- Socially Engaged Art Practice: Authorship, Dialogue and Community
This course experiments with "social practice" and "social sculpture", where the structure and relationships that constitute the art situation are activated to become politically engaged. The experimental nature of the construction of situations does not determine what the artwork is in advance of its audience. It is constituted by the dialogue or interaction that the situation elicits. The course will centre on student-led projects developed within specific contexts. This requires context-specific research and knowledge acquisition. These projects will not necessarily be undertaken individually, and how students become involved in each other's projects will be an important exercise in negotiating different roles. Social practice is also becoming an important form of outreach for museums, and so the projects will address the future implications of this as well as situate their methods concerning the history of dialogue and participation in art practice.
- Active Materials: Casting, 3D Modelling and Bio Art
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- demonstrate competency with a range of advancing technical skills in relation to studio area & contemporary art practice;
- independently explore the potential of material/s & methods relevant to the studio area and set projects;
- recognise and analyse precedents and influences on artistic practice; and
- evaluate chosen studio methodologies on the outcomes of studio projects.
Other Information
School of Art & Design studio courses have a limited enrolment capacity. Students are advised to enrol as early as possible to maximise the opportunity of securing a place.
This course may have a Materials Fee. At the ANU School of Art & Design, each workshop sources appropriate specialist?materials,?which are made available to students?to facilitate their working?effectively,?efficiently and safely?within our programs. The School of Art & Design is able to supply materials that don’t compromise ANU obligations under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (WHS), and that have been assessed as suitable for each course. The Materials Fee ?is payable for the School of Art & Design to supply consumables and materials that become your physical property. You can choose to pay the Materials Fee and have these materials supplied to you through the School of Art & Design, allowing you to take advantage of the GST-free bulk purchasing power of the ANU.?These materials are also WHS compliant. The exact cost of the Materials Fee will be updated in the Class Summary for each semester in which the course is offered. The full SOAD policy can be read here: https://soad.cass.anu.edu.au/required-resources-and-incidental-fees.
Indicative Assessment
- Critical reflection minimum 1000 words (May include visual diary and/or weekly forum contribution and/or written reflection/artist statements, may be split to break the 20% into smaller tasks) (20) [LO 3,4]
- Portfolio of studio work (Project 1) (20) [LO 1,2,3,4]
- Portfolio of studio work (Project 2) (20) [LO 1,2,3,4]
- Portfolio of studio work (Project 3) (20) [LO 1,2,3,4]
- Portfolio of studio work (Project 4) (20) [LO 1,2,3,4]
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
130 hours of total student learning time made up from:
a) 48 hours of contact over 12 weeks: lectures, tutorials, critiques and supervised studio practice; and
b) 82 hours of independent studio practice, reading and writing.
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
As listed on Wattle.
Preliminary Reading
As listed on Wattle.
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:
- 12
- 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 |
|---|---|
| 2025 | $4020 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2025 | $5580 |
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.
Second Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Politics of Spaces: Installation, Sculpture and Sp | ||||||
| 9009 | 21 Jul 2025 | 28 Jul 2025 | 31 Aug 2025 | 24 Oct 2025 | In Person | N/A |