Last modified: 01 Aug 2023 11:46
Collecting, like art-making, is a universal human activity. This introductory course takes you on a journey through the history of collecting, from early modern cabinets of curiosities, over the origins of the modern art museum, to questions of curation in the digital age. We will explore how changing modes of display affect our perception and understanding of artworks. The course also addresses key debates on the practice and ethics of museums, on restitution and decolonisation.
| Study Type | Undergraduate | Level | 1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term | Second Term | Credit Points | 15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits) |
| Campus | Aberdeen | Sustained Study | No |
| Co-ordinators |
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Collecting, like art-making, is a universal human activity. This introductory course takes you on a journey through the history of collecting, from early modern cabinets of curiosities, over the origins of the modern art museum, to questions of curation in the digital age. We will explore how changing modes of display affect our perception and understanding of artworks. The course also addresses key debates on the practice and ethics of museums, on restitution and decolonisation.
The course is taught in the classroom with some tutorials taught ‘in the field’, including the University Museums and Special Collections and the Aberdeen Art Gallery. We also offer two subsidised fieldtrips to Edinburgh and Dundee during the course (students will need to cover subsistence on these day trips). In combination with the lecture content, these visits will give you the opportunity to encounter art as a collectable thing, developing your awareness of the impact of display and context on its reception. These encounters will be linked to key questions and debates to help you gain an understanding of the importance of the history of collecting and its relevance to how we see the world today.
Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 50 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
Analysis of display space in Aberdeen Art Gallery. Written feedback; In-person feedback on request. Indicative assessment week: week 7 of the course; feedback in week 9 |
Word Count | 1500 | |
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Understand | Demonstrate an awareness of the impact of display and context for the reception of artworks |
| Conceptual | Understand | Develop ability to recognise and understand key debates surrounding the practice and ethics of museums. |
| Factual | Understand | Demonstrate an understanding of the history of collecting from the 16th to the 21st centuries |
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 50 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
Essay from pre-defined list. Written feedback; In-person feedback on request. Indicative assessment week: week 11 of the course; feedback in week 14 |
Word Count | 1500 | |
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Understand | Demonstrate an awareness of the impact of display and context for the reception of artworks |
| Factual | Understand | Demonstrate an understanding of the history of collecting from the 16th to the 21st centuries |
There are no assessments for this course.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 100 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
Written feedback; In-person feedback on request. |
Word Count | 2000 | |
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
|
|
||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Understand | Demonstrate an awareness of the impact of display and context for the reception of artworks |
| Factual | Understand | Demonstrate an understanding of the history of collecting from the 16th to the 21st centuries |
| Conceptual | Understand | Develop ability to recognise and understand key debates surrounding the practice and ethics of museums. |
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