This module examines the historical development, contemporary status and future priorities of the art museum. Over ten sessions, held at Tate Modern and Tate Britain, the module considers the major activities undertaken by museums, how their conception and execution have evolved over the last 200 years, and how they sit within a broader social, political and cultural landscape.
Organised around a series of presentations by Tate staff on emerging programmes and practices, the course introduces and analyses key themes concerning the past, present and future directions of the art museum. Topics of discussion include collection strategies, curatorial methods, learning programmes, the impact of digital technology, and how institutions engage with a diverse range of publics.
Led by independent curator Nina Trivedi, this course will critically engage with reflections on past and existing institutional models and will investigate what practical steps towards creating new approaches might look like.
A Brief History of the Art Museum
Week :1 Mapping the Museum: Origins and Definitions
Week 2: Working with a Collection: Acquisition, Exhibition, Conservation
Week 3: The Politics of Space: Museum Architecture
Contemporary Programmes and Practices
Week 4: The Changing Role of Curators
Week 5: Experiments in Learning
Week 6: Funding the Museum: Dilemmas and Opportunities
Week 7: Artists and Institutions
Planning for the Future
Week 8: New Modes of Engagement: Content, Communication, Participation
Week 9: Reimaging Audiences: The Role of Digital Technology
Week 10: Manifesto for a Museum of the Future
Nina Trivedi
Nina Trivedi was awarded a BFA from Parsons School of Design and an MFA from Goldsmiths, University of London. She is currently completing a PhD at the Royal College of Art about Critical Race Studies and Feminist New Materialisms in New Media Installations. Nina teaches at The Royal College of Art, Goldsmiths and Syracuse University. She has recently produce a symposium for the Science Museum and prior public projects include those for MK Gallery and Tenderbooks. Nina is the managing editor for the Journal of Visual Culture and has published essays in exhibition catalogues for Whitechapel Gallery as well as a recent text for the Design Journal.
Organised in collaboration with the Department of Culture, Media and Creative Industries, King’s College London.