This course is part of the Modern and Contemporary Art and Design Specialization

Sophie Cavoulacos +4 more instructors

Offered By

Modern and Contemporary Art and Design SpecializationThe Museum of Modern Art

About this Course

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What is contemporary art? In this course, you’ll consider this question through more than 70 works of art made between 1980 and the present, with a focus on art from the past decade. You’ll hear directly from artists, architects, and designers from around the globe about their creative processes, materials, and inspiration.
Five themes serve as your guide: Media from Television to the Internet, Territories & Transit, Materials & Making, Agency, and Power. You’ll look at 3-D–printed glass and fiber sculptures, performances in a factory and a museum, painted portraits—as well as those made with artificial intelligence—and interventions into television and video games. And much more, all drawn from the collection of The Museum of Modern Art. 

Come along as artists invite us into their studios, out into their neighborhoods, and to experiment with the materials they use. Not only will you develop a deeper understanding of how artists work today, you’ll also explore some of their many approaches to the pressing issues and questions of our time. By taking this course, you’ll gain confidence to look at contemporary art wherever you encounter it and make connections to your own life or creative practice.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

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Course 3 of 4 in the

Modern and Contemporary Art and Design Specialization

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Beginner Level

Approx. 11 hours to complete

English

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Skills you will gain

CreativityArtHistoryMuseumsArt History

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Course 3 of 4 in the

Modern and Contemporary Art and Design Specialization

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Beginner Level

Approx. 11 hours to complete

English

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Instructors

Instructor rating

4.58/5 (316 Ratings)

Offered by

The Museum of Modern Art

The Museum of Modern Art is a place that fuels creativity, ignites minds, and provides inspiration. Join us in exploring the art, ideas, and issues of our time through the Modern and Contemporary Art and Design Specialization or through individual courses: Modern Art & Ideas, Seeing Through Photographs, What Is Contemporary Art?, Fashion as Design, and In the Studio: Postwar Abstract Painting. Learn about teaching with art in our three courses designed for K-12 educators: Art & Inquiry, Art & Activity, and Art & Ideas.

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Content Rating97%(19,546 ratings)

Week

Week 1

1 hour to complete

Introduction to What Is Contemporary Art?

1 hour to complete

1 video (Total 1 min), 6 readings

1 video

What Is Contemporary Art?51s

6 readings

Welcome to the course!10m

Course instructors respond: what is contemporary art?10m

Suggestions for making the most of the course10m

We want to hear from you10m

Recordings of live virtual sessions (optional)10m

Resources: MoMA podcasts, art vocabulary, Magazine, and YouTube channel10m

Week

Week 2

2 hours to complete

Media from Television to the Internet

2 hours to complete

5 videos (Total 14 min), 11 readings, 1 quiz

5 videos

In the studio with Arthur Jafa | "The place where images overlap is you"3m

Beatriz González on her street posters in Bogotá, 19832m

Alfredo Jaar on Lament of the Images, 20021m

Dayanita Singh on Museum of Chance, 20133m

Susan Kare on designing the first Mac icons, 1980s3m

11 readings

Introduction to this week10m

Arthur Jafa, APEX, 201310m

Three approaches to appropriation10m

How do artists and architects share and circulate images?10m

Two interventions in television and architecture10m

How are images used to watch and classify us?10m

Surveilling, seeing, scanning10m

What do video games and computers have to do with art and design?10m

JODI on turning desktop order inside out10m

Serious games and artificial intelligence10m

Optional Readings & Resources10m

1 practice exercise

Memory Check

Week

Week 3

2 hours to complete

Territories & Transit

2 hours to complete

6 videos (Total 17 min), 9 readings, 1 quiz

6 videos

In the studio with Rael San Fratello | Transforming the wall5m

Bouchra Khalili on The Mapping Journey Project, 2008–113m

Mateo López on Travel without Movement, 2008–102m

Shellyne Rodriguez on Martin Wong, Stanton near Forsyth Street, 19831m

IRWIN on NSK Garda, 20021m

Amanda Williams on Color(ed) Theory Suite, 2014–162m

9 readings

Introduction to this week10m

Rael San Fratello, Teeter-Totter Wall, 201410m

Crossing borders10m

Claiming space10m

Changing states10m

Sky Hopinka on Jáaji Approx., 201510m

Portfolio: Teresa Margolles, Pista de baile (Dance Floor), 201610m

Optional Readings & Resources10m

Mid-course survey5m

1 practice exercise

Memory Check

Week

Week 4

2 hours to complete

Materials & Making

2 hours to complete

7 videos (Total 20 min), 10 readings, 1 quiz

7 videos

At the Museum with Sheila Hicks | Form, Texture, Color4m

Liz Deschenes on Tilt/Swing (360º field of vision, version 1), 20091m

Sheela Gowda on Of All People, 20113m

3-D printed architecture with Rael San Fratello4m

Lady Pink on Trust visions that don't feature buckets of blood, 1983–842m

Glenn Ligon on White #19, 19941m

Amy Sillman on making and unmaking painting1m

10 readings

Introduction to this week10m

Sheila Hicks, Pillar of Inquiry/Supple Column, 2013–1410m

Film, vinyl, and ultrasonic gel10m

How is contemporary art made?10m

Building, painting, printing10m

Luther Price, Sorry, 2005–1210m

Labor and work in contemporary art10m

Revital Cohen & Tuur Van Balen on 75 Watt, 201310m

Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, Work/Travail/Arbeid, 201710m

Optional Readings & Resources10m

1 practice exercise

Memory Check

About the Modern and Contemporary Art and Design Specialization

This Specialization will introduce you to the art of our time. Through original films and audio, you will go behind the scenes to look closely at artworks and into studios to hear directly from artists, designers, curators and others. This Specialization is for anyone who would like to learn more about modern and contemporary art. No prior knowledge is required. Enroll to receive invitations to virtual events, gain exclusive access to MoMA resources, and share ideas with an international learner community.

Start with Modern Art & Ideas to learn how artists have taken inspiration from their environment and responded to social issues over the past 150 years. Next, take a deep dive into Seeing Through Photographs, exploring photography from its origins in the mid-1800s through the present. This course addresses the gap between seeing and truly understanding photographs by introducing ideas, approaches and technologies that inform their making. Explore artworks made since 1980 in What Is Contemporary Art? Ranging from 3-D–printed glass and fiber sculptures to performances in a factory, the works in this course introduce you to the diverse materials, motivations and methods of artists working today. Complete the Specialization with Fashion as Design, and investigate the choices you make about fashion in relation to expression, sustainability, labor practices, identity and more. Learn from makers working with clothing every day—and, in some cases, reinventing it for the future.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
Is financial aid available?
Yes, Coursera provides financial aid to learners who cannot afford the fee. Apply for it by clicking on the Financial Aid link beneath the "Enroll" button on the left. You'll be prompted to complete an application and will be notified if you are approved. You'll need to complete this step for each course in the Specialization, including the Capstone Project. Learn more.
Will I earn university credit for completing the Course?
This Course doesn't carry university credit, but some universities may choose to accept Course Certificates for credit. Check with your institution to learn more. Online Degrees and Mastertrack™ Certificates on Coursera provide the opportunity to earn university credit.

More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.

What Is Contemporary Art?