Course Syllabus

Curating in Europe

Description of Course

Discover and interact with the contemporary art scene in Copenhagen and Berlin through this explorational course on curating today. How do you work with artists, funders, partners, communicators and technical teams to bring exhibitions to targeted audiences? What is the role of exhibitions in today's cultural landscape?

Independent artists and institutions constantly push the boundaries of what an exhibition can be. At the same time, museums produce blockbuster shows attracting massive audiences and raising the tourist potential of European cities. Discover the changing roles of curators and arts organizations today as you learn the crafts of curating and arts management in this course. Dive into the historical origins and milestones of curating while engaging in debates on norms of representation and presentation.

Since the 1960s, curators have moved from an organizer role behind-the-scenes to taking on a visible position in contemporary culture as important producers. On field studies in Copenhagen and on a three-day study tour to Berlin we will learn from artists and curators in their environments to understand the dynamics of art production and exhibition-making today.

With your fellow students, you will showcase your acquired skills in art appreciation and curating as you work in groups to acquire actual works of art in Copenhagen, creating a site-specific display at DIS as your final assignment.

Faculty

Andreas Brøgger, Program Director of European Humanities at DIS. Previously Director and Curator at Nikolaj Contemporary Art Center 2009-2018 and Curator at Sorø Kunstmuseum 2006-2009. Former Art Critic and Magazine Editor. MA in Modern Culture Studies, University of Copenhagen 1997. Visiting Scholar, Columbia University 1999-2000 and Otis College of Art and Design 2001. Lecturer, University of Copenhagen 2002-2005. With DIS since 2018.

Study Tour and Field Studies

For our study tour we will travel to Berlin, one of the most exciting contemporary art scenes today. Exploring both Berlin and Copenhagen throughout the course, we will visit artists in their studios, freelance curators working on up-coming exhibition projects. directors of museums and art centers as well as private funders to understand the mechanisms of exhibition production today. Examples of institutional visits include Art Hub Copenhagen, Copenhagen Contemporary, Nikolaj Kunsthal, Kunstforeningen GL Strand, CHArt Art Fair & Enter Art Fair (fall semester only) in Copenhagen, and, in Berlin, Sammlung Boros, König Galerie, KW Institute for Contemporary Art, and others.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course you will be able to:

• Understand the curator's role in the cultural and economic ecosystem of the arts
• Analyze and critically assess works of art by a diverse selection of artists
• Form a working understanding of processes involved in exhibition making in a variety of contexts
• Understand the broader role of art production and exhibition making in contemporary society
• Collaborate with artists and communicate with targeted audiences
  
  

Readings 

This is a list of possible reading materials:
O'Neill, Paul, Culture of Curating and the Curating of Culture(s), MIT Press (2012)
George, Adrian, The Curator's Handbook, Thames & Hudson (2015)
Marincola, Paula, What Makes a Great Exhibition?, Reaktion Books (2007)
Bishop, Claire, Radical Museology, Walther König Verlag (2013) 
Smith, Terry & Fowle, Kate, Thinking Contemporary Curating, Independent Curators International (2012)

Academic Regulations  

Please make sure to read the Academic Regulations on the DIS website. There you will find regulations on:

• Course Enrollment and Grading
• Attendance
• Coursework, Exams, and Final Grade Reports

DIS - Study Abroad in Scandinavia - www.DISabroad.org