This course provides a critical introduction to the histories and theories of art institutions and exhibitions. The focus will be on the transformations in our public collections and museums and their role in our collective futures. You will be introduced to major frameworks and contexts through which museums and exhibitions have been understood. This will include institutional and exhibitionary analysis, approaches to objects and collections as well as key models of museum communication. Exhibitions are important sites for private reflection, the contestation of power as well as participation in public meaning making, this course will provide you with the foundation for involvement in these important cultural fields. You will also consider the impact of alternative approaches to curatorial practices in global networked culture. This course is designed to provide you with core knowledge of the discipline from which to develop your own critically reflective approach to professional practice.

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