Masters Compare - Find your perfect masters course.
Masters Compare - Find your perfect masters course.
Study Details: Two years (60 weeks) Extended full-time
MRes Art is made up of three specialist pathways: Theory and Philosophy; Moving Image; and Exhibition Studies. MRes Art uses research and writing to develop modes of questioning, speculative thinking and critical evaluation. Drawing upon a wealth of scholarly expertise from the staff team, visiting lecturers and practitioners, the course considers the relationship of contemporary art research to wider aesthetic, cultural and socio-political issues. There are opportunities for students on each pathway to come together for shared taught components.
MRes Art: Exhibition Studies asks the following core questions: Can we tell a different story of modern and contemporary art through its exhibitions? What does the history of exhibitions tell us about the wider cultural field in which artworks are produced and made public? And, finally, how can it inform more transformative and sustainable curatorial practices in the future?
Drawing on an interdisciplinary field of theory from the arts and the humanities, the pathway will introduce you to significant debates in the field of contemporary art and curatorial studies. You will gain in-depth knowledge of the history of exhibitions, as well as contemporary practices that seek to reimagine art’s relation to its publics through decentralised, relational and collaborative approaches. You will be encouraged to interrogate the norms embedded in art institutions and participate in shaping practices that work to advance decolonial, just and sustainable futures.
This pathway is delivered in collaboration with Afterall Research Centre. You will have unique access to its network of contributors and partner institutions, including high-profile curators and theorists. You will also engage in participatory forms of learning that will expose you to diverse perspectives, foster critical and creative thinking, and enhance your teamwork skills.
Register your interest to receive information and updates about studying at UAL.
We select applicants according to potential and current ability in the following areas:
You may be invited to an interview following our review of your application. The interview is used to evaluate the extent to which a candidate demonstrates:
We are seeking imaginative, resourceful individuals who are committed to exploring art discourses.
Our Postgraduate Art Programme offers valuable opportunities to build transferable professional knowledge and skills. The exchange of perspectives with others through shared units, reading groups and debates helps establish stimulating and productive networks.
The focus on proposing and developing a major independent programme of study is supported by a shared professional practice lecture series featuring guest speakers plus opportunities to attend symposia and critique work in progress across subject areas. The Postgraduate Art Programme has wide-ranging links with professional organisations, collections and galleries, and includes opportunities for interaction and networking according to your personal career direction.
MRes Art: Exhibition Studies is unique in its relationship with Afterall, the high-profile international art publishers based at CSM. MRes Art: Exhibition Studies is spearheaded by academic expertise within the Afterall team and benefits from the professional international networking opportunities created by publishing projects. Publications include the Afterall journal and the 'Exhibition Histories' series of books - these can provide opportunities for student involvement in professional practice as well as relevant contacts for individual research and career development.
MRes Art: Exhibition Studies equips you to understand the history of contemporary art practice through a new prism - one that reflects your practice as writer, artist or curator. You'll be able to analyse the evolution and influence of the curator and the institution in contemporary art practice, to examine critically strategies of display (both from an artistic and curatorial perspective), and to articulate thought critically.
On MRes Art: Exhibition Studies, teaching in the first year will cover methodologies and research skills. It will also engage you in the specialist subject of exhibition studies. During the first year, you will begin to define your individual research project in close consultation with tutors. During the second year, you will undertake research and writing to bring the project to fruition. Throughout your studies, you will receive support through individual and group tutorials, workshops, and seminar discussions.
The unit encourages you to reflect critically on the formation of canonical institutional structures, and to interrogate the role of museums to reinforce colonial power. At the same time, you will consider oppositional strategies which have challenged hegemonic curatorial formats, for example in the form of self-organised practices, festivals and activist movements. You will also be introduced to a range of decolonial, intersectional, feminist and ecological approaches which propose innovative ways of studying the relation between artistic practice and its social and political context. The unit will be punctuated by close analysis of particular case studies, drawing from the research carried out by the Afterall Exhibition Histories research strand.
Unit 2 is an opportunity for all the students in the MRes Art course to study together. The unit has a core group of categories and approaches that have defined fundamental positions and concerns across the humanities, social sciences and arts. The unit maps out various schools of thought, methodologies and concepts that will help you to define your research topics and aims, and trains you to become a critical thinker.
Unit 3 seeks to develop your skills as a researcher by working with primary sources and setting them within a broader historical context. You will work collaboratively with your peers to produce new research about a specific institution or artistic collective. Projects might involve hands-on research in physical or online archives, group discussions with artists or curators, as well as the production of public forms of dissemination. You will be encouraged to reflect on how institutional, curatorial and artistic practices may be historicised and analysed, and to think creatively about the methods and methodologies that they demand.
Start your creative future at University of the Arts London About University of the Arts London (UAL) University of the Arts London (UAL) is hos...
