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Interpreting Exhibitions (ACUR90005)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5Dual-Delivery (Parkville)
Please refer to the return to campus page for more information on these delivery modes and students who can enrol in each mode based on their location.
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable(opens in new window)
Contact information
Semester 2
Overview
Availability | Semester 2 - Dual-Delivery |
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Fees | Look up fees |
This subject will examine the various strategies employed by museums and galleries to frame the objects and ideas in their care and in order to communicate to the public about them. It will consider how these display strategies have changed over time, but its principal focus will nonetheless be on current exhibition and display settings, from contemporary art spaces to science and natural history museums. What is the best way - if any - to frame a particular exhibition? What sorts of communications messages should curators and exhibition designers seek to convey to museum and gallery visitors? How effectively do galleries and museums communicate their ideas? What role does the public have in engaging with the objects and ideas in museum and gallery display settings? These and other questions will be asked in order to critically interrogate the idea of the exhibition as a meeting point between the institution and the public and as a site of a charged dialogue of meaning between all the players in the exhibition circuit: from the institution, to the objects and/or ideas in the institution, and on to the public who comes to engage with them. On completion of the subject students should be able to apply a range of critical theoretical, art historical and museological approaches to the study of exhibitions and displays in historical and contemporary settings.
Intended learning outcomes
On successful completion of this subject, students should:
- have an understanding of how objects and ideas are communicated to the public in museum and gallery displays;
- be able to engage critically with a range of display strategies in varying display settings; and
- have developed an appreciation for a range of museological, critical theory, and art historical approaches to studying exhibitions in museums and galleries.
Generic skills
At the completion of this subject, students should gain the following generic skills:
- be able to conduct independent research using catalogued sources and bibliographical indexes;
- have developed their ability to think creatively and express their ideas clearly in written communication; and
- have developed their skills in verbal communication and oral presentation.
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
Admission into the 038AB Master of Art Curatorship
OR
Head of Program approval is required for enrolment by Community Access Program (CAP), Inbound Exchange/Study Abroad or Incoming Cross-institutional students.
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Assessment
Description | Timing | Percentage |
---|---|---|
An exhibition analysis based on in-class presentation
| During the teaching period | 40% |
A research essay
| During the examination period | 55% |
Participation in class | Throughout the semester | 5% |
Hurdle requirement: Students are required to attend a minimum of 80% of classes in order to pass this subject and regular class participation is expected. | Throughout the teaching period | N/A |
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Dates & times
- Semester 2
Principal coordinator Christopher Marshall Mode of delivery Dual-Delivery (Parkville) Contact hours Total 24 hours: 12 x 2 hour seminar per week throughout semester. Total time commitment 170 hours Teaching period 26 July 2021 to 24 October 2021 Last self-enrol date 6 August 2021 Census date 31 August 2021 Last date to withdraw without fail 24 September 2021 Assessment period ends 19 November 2021 Semester 2 contact information
Time commitment details
170 hours
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
A subject reader will be available.
- Subject notes
Admission into one of the following is required to take this subject:
the Graduate Certificate in Arts (Advanced) - Art History or fourth year honours in Art History, Master of Art Curatorship, Master of Arts Management, Graduate Diploma in Arts (Advanced) - Art History, Master in Arts & Cultural Management, Master of Arts & Cultural Management (Moving Image), Master of Arts in Art History (Advanced Seminar and Shorter Thesis).
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
Type Name Course Graduate Diploma in Arts and Cultural Management (Advanced) Specialisation (formal) Art History Specialisation (formal) Art History Specialisation (formal) Art History Specialisation (formal) Art History Informal specialisation PD-ARTS Art History - Links to additional information
Last updated: 3 November 2022