Advanced Art Fieldwork

This subject is taught on location in a major art centre (the subject may be taught one year in Asia, Europe or the Americas or in other destinations, as appropriate), using the social, economic, geographical and cultural effects of the art centre as a case study of historical, modern, and/or contemporary culture. Students will be introduced to the key institutional components of an art centre: as appropriate, museums, galleries, alternative spaces, corporate collections, religious institutions, auction houses, art magazines, studios and workshops. These will be analysed using models derived from discourse theory, the institutional model of art, urban sociology, psychogeography, architectural history and subcultural theory. Students will study the history of the centre, display and consumption of art, exhibition spaces and artistic and artisanal practices allowing consideration of recent developments in art and architectural history, museology, arts policy, art market, commodity theory and cultural tourism.