Aims

Exhibiting Art develops knowledge, understanding, and experience in exhibiting. It equips students with the skills necessary for managing and designing exhibitions. It encourages students to critically consider cultural conventions in staging exhibitions and introduces various intellectual and practical approaches to making art public. Students plan, design and deliver a collaborative group exhibition of their own work. In the development of the exhibition the students will gain practical experience and an opportunity to further explore the roles of exhibiting artists and curators, as well as technical expertise in exhibiting art. In short, this module aims to expand knowledge and experience gained of how work performs in an exhibition context and the professional skills, required in the planning, developing and executing of exhibitions and their legacies.

Outline Of Syllabus

Exhibiting Art revolves around students collaborating to execute an ‘interim’ exhibition by the semester's end. To achieve this objective, students will engage with a variety of topics that address various aspects of exhibition-making and the realisation of exhibition projects. Indicative topics include:

- Exhibition Histories and study visits to exhibitions in the city
- Exhibition design and the exploration of the conceptual and practical issues relating to curating, planning, exhibition installation, publications, and publicity.
- The afterlife of exhibitions and exhibition legacies.
- The functions of visual arts organisations and other contemporary art entities.

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Exhibiting Art highlights the student-led nature of the module by combining Scheduled Teaching and Learning with predominantly Guided Independent Study. The scheduled teaching equips students with the necessary knowledge required to undertake the student project; however, they must then develop that knowledge in relation to their individual practices and group exhibition.

Most Guided Independent Study, including project work, focuses on the individual development and production of experimental and fully realized artworks, encompassing research and preparation such as sketchbooks, test pieces, and technical trials. (K3)(S7).

A program of fieldwork, workshops, and small group teaching covers subjects such as the history of exhibitions, case studies of contemporary exhibitions, along with interpretive material, curating, and practical planning. (K1, K3 – K5). This leads to the development of skills in designing an exhibition proposal and subsequent exhibition, enabling students to practice negotiation, communication, and planning skills in the development of exhibition projects. (S1, S2, S4, S7)

A significant portion of student hours is dedicated to practical activities, occurring during the installation and deinstallation of the exhibition. These practical sessions, conducted with staff, aim to enhance the student’s understanding of spatial considerations of exhibiting art and underscore the importance of documentation of artworks in the afterlife of the exhibition. (K3, K4) (S2, S4).

The forms of teaching and learning are intended to encourage students to build their understanding and knowledge of exhibition practice, while also equipping them with tools to question those orthodoxies within the context of their practice and the broader contemporary art infrastructure.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The formative assessment entails producing a group exhibition proposal covering the exhibition title, concept, any resource implications, and initial exhibition design. The proposal enables the students to apply the knowledge acquired from the module, including exhibition design and curatorial conventions. (K1, K3, K4, K5) It also encourages students to reflect on their individual practices and explore commonalities/divergences across and between their practices in a way that fosters understanding and ongoing development. (S2, S7).

For the summative assessment, students must create an individual portfolio. The portfolio comprises of audiovisual documentation and a description of the student’s artworks present in the exhibition. The assessment is designed for the students to demonstrate their comprehension of the afterlife of exhibitions and the role of documentation in the circulation of art beyond the exhibition’s timeframe. (K4, K5) (S1, S4, S7).

The rationale for PASS/FAIL is due to the timing of the module in the student’s learning journey. Exhibiting Art is one of the first modules the student will undertake. Most of the module’s activity is group-orientated where the students will rehearse appropriate organisational structures for the realisation of future exhibition projects. The removal of the tariff will encourage students to test out their ideas in public, instilling confidence in exhibition practice and its associated knowledge and understanding which will be applied as the student progresses through the programme.