AHT2712 Curating: Histories and theories
Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture
AHT2712 Curating: Histories and theories is a level 2, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture, offered in 2027 in Semester 2 at Caulfield. It has no prerequisites.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2027
- Semester 2
- Caulfield
- Assessment
- No exam
- 3 tasks
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Requisites
Before AHT2712
Prohibitions
You can't enrol if you have passed any of these.
Corequisites
Pass these before, or take them in the same semester.
After AHT2712
No unit lists AHT2712 as a prerequisite in the 2027 handbook.
Enrolment rules
You must have completed at least 12 credit points at first-year level in Art History and Theory, or approval from Chief Examiner.
Overview
This unit introduces you to key histories and theories of curating from the mid-eighteenth century to the present. You will examine the development of museums, collections, exhibitions, biennales and curatorial practice, with particular attention to the changing role of the curator from the mid-1970s onward. The unit considers curating both through art objects and as an expanded field of practice that may be activist, temporal, decolonising, performative or socially engaged. Through historical case studies and theoretical debates, you will develop a working vocabulary for asking critical questions of contemporary curatorial practice and for applying curatorial thinking to future art historical, artistic, writing or museum and gallery contexts.
Offerings in 2027
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Second semester | Caulfield | On campus |
Assessment
- ExercisesExercise15%
- Exhibition reviewWritten30%
- Research proposal and Research essayWritten55%
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
Identify key theoretical questions in curatorial practice and describe major historical developments in curating from the eighteenth century to the present;
- 2
Apply historical and theoretical knowledge to practical acts of curating you might undertake;
- 3
Connect key moments in the history of curating with theoretical debates and the practices of prominent historical and contemporary curators;
- 4
Analyse how curatorial histories and theories shape the roles of curators, artists, audiences, institutions and communities;
- 5
Engage with the issues and theories of curating insofar as they apply to your art practice or study of art history;
- 6
Develop a working vocabulary and method for asking critical questions of contemporary curatorial practice.
Workload and teaching
- Seminars12 hours
- Tutorials24 hours
12 hours per week including 3 contact hours plus 9 hours of independent study.
Contacts
- Unit Coordinators
- Associate Professor Tara McDowell
- Chief Examiners
- Associate Professor Tara McDowell
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for AHT2712?
None, but you must take OHS1000 before or alongside it.
When is AHT2712 offered?
In 2027, AHT2712 runs in Semester 2 at Caulfield.
Does AHT2712 have an exam?
No. AHT2712 has 3 assessment tasks and no exam.