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Unit of study_

ARHT6960: Contemporary Curating

2025 unit information

This unit of study focuses on contemporary curatorial practices and explores emerging trends and new directions in curating. It considers the expanding role of the curator, moving from traditional contexts in the art gallery and museum, to contemporary art spaces, artist-run initiatives, public sites, and into globalised and virtual settings. Curating is its own discipline. It has its own histories and is constantly evolving new modes of exhibition-making. The Contemporary Curator is inventing new ways for art to involve itself in society and we investigate the curatorial practices that meet the complexities, complacencies, inequalities, and possibilities of the contemporary moment.

Unit details and rules

Managing faculty or University school:

Arts and Social Sciences

Study level Postgraduate
Academic unit Art History
Credit points 6
Prerequisites:
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None
Corequisites:
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None
Prohibitions:
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CAEL5032
Assumed knowledge:
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None

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

  • LO1. demonstrate an understanding of contemporary curating practices, including the curatorial differences between the spaces, organisations, galleries, and institutions within the contemporary art infrastructure, and apply this knowledge by confidently articulating and contextualising the complex concepts and strategic differences within a peer group
  • LO2. conduct curatorial research through understanding curatorial and art historical research methods, and through practical processes of research and inquiry
  • LO3. engage in experiences that allow them to recognise and value communication as a tool for negotiating and creating new understanding, interacting with others, and furthering their own learning, developing a high standard of oral and written communication skills essential to work effectively in the art industry
  • LO4. respond effectively to unfamiliar problems in unfamiliar contexts; and work effectively in teams and other collaborative contexts.

Unit availability

This section lists the session, attendance modes and locations the unit is available in. There is a unit outline for each of the unit availabilities, which gives you information about the unit including assessment details and a schedule of weekly activities.

The outline is published 2 weeks before the first day of teaching. You can look at previous outlines for a guide to the details of a unit.

Session MoA ?  Location Outline ? 
Semester 1 2024
Normal day Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Session MoA ?  Location Outline ? 
Semester 1 2025
Normal day Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Outline unavailable
Session MoA ?  Location Outline ? 
Semester 1 2020
Normal day Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Semester 1 2021
Normal day Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Outline unavailable
Semester 1 2021
Normal day Remote
Semester 1 2022
Normal day Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Semester 1 2022
Normal day Remote
Semester 1 2023
Normal day Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Semester 1 2023
Normal day Remote

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Modes of attendance (MoA)

This refers to the Mode of attendance (MoA) for the unit as it appears when you’re selecting your units in Sydney Student. Find more information about modes of attendance on our website.