Introductory description

Through immersive learning, this module examines how art and design are made, circulated, displayed, communicated and traded in the contemporary world. Uniquely delivered across two sites, at the Shard in London and on the main Warwick campus, the module combines place-based learning with direct engagement from leading practitioners. The focus is on the structures and actors shaping today's art world, through seminars, workshops, museum and gallery visits, and guest talks with curators, market specialists, and innovators working at the edges of established institutional practice — including artist-led initiatives and those redefining how art fairs and design platforms operate.

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

London Museum and Gallery Day: Art, Design and Cultural Impact;
London Alternative Art and Design Scene: Community Activism and Grassroots Projects;
What We Trade When We Trade Art: Art Market Guest Speaker;
Lessons in Curation Workshop: Displaying Art and Design Today;
Disruption and the Art and Design Industries

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Demonstrate detailed knowledge and understanding of the historical underpinnings of art and design production as located in specific times and places
• Critically evaluate the mechanisms of contemporary art and design, their circulation, and display
• Engage with and critically assess existing debates around art trade, curation, and the impact of technological and institutional change
• Respond to and critically apply a range of historical frameworks to current practices in the art market and urban creative economies
• Analyse the economic, diplomatic, and civic functions of major international exhibitions, and evaluate their effects on cities and cultural exchange
• Demonstrate direct engagement with practitioners and sites of contemporary cultural production, and reflect critically on the roles of market actors, curators, and artist-led initiatives in shaping how art and design reach their publics

Indicative reading list

Reading lists can be found in Talis

Subject specific skills

Close reading and critical analysis of art and design objects, spaces, and events in their historical and contemporary contexts; Knowledge of the structures, actors, and economics of the contemporary art world; Ability to analyse the relationship between history, trade networks, and cultural production, with particular focus on London; Familiarity with the politics and ethics of display and circulation of art and design; Direct engagement with practitioner perspectives across curation, the art market, and experimental art initiatives

Transferable skills

Critical thinking and the ability to construct and evaluate complex arguments across disciplinary boundaries; Visual literacy and the ability to interpret meaning through image, object, and space; Critical and analytical skills developed through intensive fieldwork and independent study; Oral and written communication skills, including the ability to present ideas to specialist and non-specialist audiences; Cross-cultural awareness and adaptability, developed through immersive study in diverse urban and institutional contexts; Professional networking and reflective practice through direct engagement with leading practitioners in the field