Outline

Overview

This unit explores the historical emergence and rapid growth of contemporary international surveys of art since the 1960s. The Biennales, Triennales, Documentas and related international exhibitions are a spectacular cornerstone of today's global art industry. The proliferation of museums, exhibitions, art fairs and cultural events at the international level are now competing with other areas of mass entertainment. In particular, the international contemporary art survey has become a pre-eminent, critical platform for art, trade and cultural politics. The unit is run in conjunction with the Biennale of Sydney. It is an intensive class, with a large component held in situ at Biennale exhibitions, performances, conferences and satellite events.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Art History
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Mimi Kelly, amelia.kelly@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Mimi Kelly, amelia.kelly@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Group Task - curatorial written proposal Group Task - curatorial written proposal	20%	Week 06 Due date: 30 Mar 2022 at 23:59	1500wd
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Individual verbal presentation Individual verbal presentation	20%	Week 07 Due date: 06 Apr 2022 at 23:59	5 min or 500wd
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Group Task - ppt verbal presentation Group Task - ppt verbal presentation	10%	Week 11 Due date: 11 May 2022 at 23:59	10 min or 1000wd equivalent
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Written essay Written essay	50%	Week 13 Due date: 29 May 2022 at 23:59	3000wd
Outcomes assessed:
= group assignment ?

Assessment summary

Assessment 1. Curatorial Assignment

NOTE! This is two-part task

Worth: 30% of overall grade (made up of written curatorial component worth 20% and verbal presentation worth 10%)
Description: Group task 1500 words
Due: Friday 3 April (written online component), Wednesday 13 May (class presentation component)
How to complete: online via Canvas

1. Group task. Curatorial written Assignment

1. For this task, you are asked to form a small curatorium (of 2-3 students) to research and present a preliminary exhibition proposal for a satellite component of the 22nd Biennale of Sydney (2020).

How to approach the task: as a collective, you feel that it is time for the Biennale to support satellite events, and have a great idea for an exhibition. You are not coming up with an overall Biennale theme or enough artwork for the multiple venues usually used, but a separate exhibition designed for one venue developed out of your own thematic ideas. You may want to respond to previous biennales by showcasing art and artists you think have not had the sort of attention they deserve. Or, you may wish to simply develop your own independent idea. You could curate 8 artists or 18, you could show creative duos, collectives, performances etc. – as long as you give a clear, cohesive explanation and bold and innovative rationale for your selection. The short time-frame of the unit means that, whilst your proposal will be well researched, as noted it will be schematic and scaled down to fit one of the key Biennale venues, or part thereof,. Having said that, if you can argue for an alternative exhibition venue space you have researched, then, by all means, go with that. Have a look over previous Biennials for Sydney based venues or consider regional contemporary space previously used by Biennales such as Campbelltown or Casula Regional Art Galleries.

1a. Once you have got your group together, you will research, prepare and submit a group curatorial research portfolio of a total of 1500 words. This will include:

A brief introductory statement on your theme and rationale for chosen venue/s.
Clear background research on selected artists beyond their bios, but interrogating the conceptual and formal qualities of their art, and relating them to your overarching curatorial theme.
Illustrations where possible.
Public programs related to your exhibition that demonstrate a clear connection to themes, concepts and relatability by the local public.

1b. Verbal ppt presentation component:

Also required for the project is a brief, 10-minute PowerPoint presentation, to be submitted online by each curatorium on week 11, Wednesday 13 May.

Students will record their section of the verbal presentation to accompany the powerpoint presentation and upload it online. You need to share your presentation time equally amongst your group members. For instance, in a group of two, one person would speak for the first 5 minutes, the other person would present for the final 5 minutes. Word length for speaking is approx.1000 words.

NOTE: this assessment task will be awarded a collective mark

Assessment 2: Presentation

Worth: 20% of overall grade
Description: Individual task
Due: Wednesday 29 April
How to complete: verbal presentation

2. A brief (5 minutes) Biennale recorded verbal presentation to be uploaded online by Wednesday 29 April. Select and research a specific artwork or group of works exhibited in close proximity. You are asked to discuss your selection in the context of the exhibition and its themes. Word length for speaking approx. 400-500 words.

Assessment 3: Essay

Worth: 50% of overall grade
Description: Individual task, 3000 words
Due: Monday 1 June
How to complete: online via Canvas

3. For this task, you are asked to devise your own essay topic and question. The focus, however, needs to consider the issues of biennales, triennials contemporary art or art fairs as discussed in class. More information on your approach to this will be discussed in class, as we workshop and tailor the question to best suit your area of research interest.

Assessment criteria

85%+ (High Distinction)

Work of exceptional standard. Work demonstrates initiative and originality in research, analysis and argumentation

75-84% (Distinction)

Work of a superior standard. Work demonstrates an intelligent understanding of, and individual engagement with, material.

70-74% (High Credit)

Highly competent work. This level of work is considered “above average”.

65-69% (Low Credit)

Very competent. The work shows some understanding of relevant critical and theoretical considerations and of the conceptual issues raised by a unit of study.

58-64% (High Pass)

Work of a good, satisfactory standard. Work demonstrates a broad and reasonably accurate command of the subject matter and some sense of its broader significance.

50-57% (Pass)

Work of acceptable standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

Work not submitted on or before the due date is subject to a penalty of 5% per calendar day late. If work is submitted more than 10 days after the due date, or is submitted after the return date, the mark will be 0. Details of the Faculty Resolutions and Provisions regarding late work: http://sydney.edu.au/handbooks/arts/rules/faculty_resolutions_arts.shtml All assessments must be submitted through the Turnitin online system, via the University's LMS.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction to class	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
Week 02	A World of Art? World Art? - global art today	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
Week 03	The legacy of Avant-gardism	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
Week 04	Postcolonial Biennales and Trans-Cultural Projects	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
Week 05	The ‘Asian Biennales’ phenomena; Nationalism and Regionalism	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
Week 06	Biennale legacies? Feminist curatorial strategies and the ‘Big Exhibition’	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
Week 07	BoS22: Themes, Issues, Selections and Reception	Field trip (2 hr)
Week 08	BoS22: Themes, Issues, Selections and Reception	Field trip (2 hr)
Week 09	BoS22: Themes, Issues, Selections and Reception	Field trip (2 hr)
Week 10	BoS22: Themes, Issues, Selections and Reception	Field trip (2 hr)
Week 11	Round-table discussion of Biennale and first part of Curatorial project group presentations	Presentation (2 hr)
Week 12	Second part of Curatorial project group presentations	Presentation (2 hr)
Week 13	Wrap up	Presentation (2 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

According to Faculty Board Resolutions, students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences are expected to attend 90% of their classes. If you attend less than 50% of classes, regardless of the reasons, you may be referred to the Examiner’s Board. The Examiner’s Board will decide whether you should pass or fail the unit of study if your attendance falls below this threshold.

If a unit of study has a participation mark, your attendance may influence this mark.

For more information on attendance, see http://sydney.edu.au/policies/showdoc.aspx?recnum=PDOC2014/345&RendNum=0.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

See individual Modules on Canvas for each weeks reading.

The Weekly Readings are available only through the eReadings system available via Canvas under the LH tab ‘eReserve’.

Staying on Top of Your Study

The Learning Centre offers workshops in Academic Reading and Writing, Oral communications Skills, Postgraduate Research Skills, Honours, masters Coursework Program, Studying at University, and Workshops for English Language and Learning. Further information about The Learning Centre can be found at http://sydney.edu.au/stuserv/learning_centre/.

The Write Site provides online support to help you develop your academic and professional writing skills. All University of Sydney staff and students who have a UniKey can access the WriteSite at http://writesite.elearn.usyd.edu.au/.

The FASS Writing Support for Coursework has a wide range of programs at both Undergraduate and Postgraduate levels that focus on writing across the curriculum. The Department of Writing Studies offers drop-in sessions to assist students with their writing in a one-to-one setting. No appointment is necessary, and this service is free of charge to all FASS students and/or all students enrolled in WRIT units. To find out more visit http://sydney.edu.au/arts/teaching_learning/writing_studies/writing_support/index.shtml.

Pastoral and academic support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students is provided by the STAR Team in Student Support services, a dedicated team of professional Aboriginal people able to respond to the needs of students across disciplines. The STAR team can assist with tutorial support, mentoring support, cultural and pastoral care along with a range of other services. More information about support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students can be found at http://sydney.edu.au/current_students/student_services/indigenous_support.shtml.

Free online Library tutorials are available at http://sydney.edu.au/library/skills, with one designed especially for students studying in the Humanities and Social Sciences at http://libguides.library.usyd.edu.au/.

Other Support Services

Disability Services is located on Level 5, Jane Foss Russell Building G02; contact 8627 8422 or email disability.services@sydney.edu.au. For further information, visit their website at http://sydney.edu.au/stuserv/disability/.

Counselling and Psychological Services (CAPS) are located on Level 5, Jane Foss Russell Building G02; contact 8627 8433 or email caps.admin@sydney.edu.au. For further information, visit their website at http://sydney.edu.au/current_students/counselling/.

International Student Services are located on Level 3 of the Jane Foss Russell Building G02. You can call the office on 1800 SYD UNI (1800 793 864) or +61 2 8627 1444. For Further information, visit http://sydney.edu.au/study/academic-support/support-for-international-students.html.

Student Representative Council (SRC) are located on Level 1, Wentworth Building G01; contact them on 9660 5222 or email help@src.usyd.edu.au. For further information, visit their website at http://srcusyd.net.au/.

Sydney University Postgraduate Representative Association (SUPRA) are located on Level 2, Holme Building A09; 9351 3715 or toll free within Australia on 1800 249 950 or email admin@supra.usyd.edu.au. For further information, visit their website at http://www.supra.net.au.

Bullying, harassment, discrimination or sexual assault
If you have experienced bullying, harassment, discrimination or sexual assault, you can make a formal complaint through the Student Affairs Unit here: http://sydney.edu.au/student_affairs/complaints/index.shtml, or by calling 1800SYDHLP. Sexual assault is a crime, and you have the right to report it to police: call 000 or visit your nearest police station to make a formal complaint. You can also make an anonymous crime report online here: https://www1.police.nsw.gov.au/mobile/cs.aspx. If you have experienced sexual harassment or assault and require advice, or you know someone who has, you can call NSW Rape Crisis Centre (1800 424 017) 24 hours a day. The NSW Rape Crisis Centre also provides counselling online at http://www.nswrapecrisis.com.au/. There is a Sexual Assault Clinic at RPA Hospital, which provides medical care and counselling. Call 9515 9040 for more info.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. develop advanced analytical and research skills to engage with the variety of biennales, triennials and other major art exhibitions in a contemporary framework.
LO2. give students a sophisticated understanding of the range of artistic, cultural and social outcomes of the biennale genre.
LO3. give students practice, confidence and skill in oral and written presentation of material, both individually and as a group, and in analyzing biennales and art fairs in their multiple contexts of production and reception.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

A more integrated experience of close reading of art in-situ has been cultivated for this unit in response to previous student feedback.

Additional information

Assessment Submission

Work not submitted on or before the due date is subject to a penalty of 5% per calendar day late. If work is submitted more than 10 days after the due date, or is submitted after the return date, the mark will be 0.

Details of the Faculty Resolutions and Provisions regarding late work: http://sydney.edu.au/handbooks/arts/rules/faculty_resolutions_arts.shtml

All assessments must be submitted through the Turnitin online system, via the University's LMS.

Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism

Academic honesty is a core value of the University, so all students are required to act honestly, ethically and with integrity. This means that the University is opposed to and will not tolerate academic dishonesty or plagiarism, and will treat all allegations of academic dishonesty and plagiarism seriously. The consequences of engaging in plagiarism and academic dishonesty, along with the process by which they are determined and applied, are set out in the Academic Honesty in Coursework Policy 2015. You can find these documents University Policy Register at http://sydney.edu.au/policies (enter “Academic Honesty” in the search field).

Definitions

According to the Policy, plagiarism means representing another person’s work (i.e., ideas, findings or words) as one’s own work by presenting, copying or reproducing it without appropriate acknowledgement of the source. Academic dishonesty means seeking to obtain or obtaining academic advantage for oneself or others (including in the assessment or publication of work) by dishonest or unfair means. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to:

Resubmission (or recycling) of work that is the same, or substantially the same as work previously submitted for assessment in the same or in a different unit of study. Every unit of study expects each student to produce new material based upon research conducted in that unit;
Dishonest plagiarism;
Engaging another person to complete or contribute to an assessment in your place; and
Various forms of misconduct in examinations (including copying from another student and taking prohibited materials into an examination venue).

Academic Honesty Education Module (AHEM)

As set out in the Academic Honesty in Coursework Policy 2015, all students commencing their study at the University of Sydney are required to complete the Academic Honesty Education Module (AHEM).

From February 2018, AHEM will be located in the open section of Canvas. It should take less than one hour to finish. You need not do the module all at once, however, it must be completed by 31 March for Semester 1 and 31 August for Semester 2. Students who do not complete the entire module by the end of that session will be required to start over.

For further information on academic integrity, check the Academic dishonesty and plagiarism webpage.

Use of Similarity Detection Software

Students should be aware that Assignments submitted in this unit of study may be submitted to similarity detection software. This software searches for matches between text in your written assessment task and text sourced from the Internet, published works, and assignments that have previously been submitted for analysis.

There will always be some degree of text-matching when using this software. Text-matching may occur in use of direct quotations, technical terms and phrases, or the listing of bibliographic material. This does not mean you will automatically be accused of academic dishonesty or plagiarism, although this software reports may be used as evidence in academic dishonesty and plagiarism decision-making processes. Further information about this software is available at http://sydney.edu.au/students/academic-dishonesty-and-plagiarism/detecting-and-reporting-academic-dishonesty.html.

Site visit guidelines

As we will be visiting Biennale of Sydney venues, all students are expected to arrive at least 10 minutes prior to class, and bring with them a A5 note book/journal and pencil.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment 1. Curatorial Assignment

Assessment 2: Presentation

Assessment 3: Essay

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Site visit guidelines

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

ARHT6936: Biennales, Triennales and Contemporary Art

Semester 1, 2022 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment 1. Curatorial Assignment

Assessment 2: Presentation

Assessment 3: Essay

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Site visit guidelines

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect