KF-602 Art in context: Theory, methods and aesthetics

Course contents

The course shall, through the reading material and teaching, project a thorough insight into the theoretical academic discussions that are taking place within cross-aesthetic and context-oriented arts research and artistic development work. Within this, themes will be addressed which include recent aesthetic theory, arts sociology and cultural analysis, historical perspectives on art and culture, and trends in arts didactics. Furthermore, central terms will be addressed and discussed as they pertain to modern, cross-aesthetic research and artistic development work.

Learning outcomes

After completing the subject, the candidate will have gained thorough knowledge of literature and artistic projects which entail and problematise theoretical and artistic practice, and which can be characterised as cross-aesthetic and context-oriented. The candidate is able to clarify the academic, historical and societal/cultural background of his/her choice of theoretical and, possibly, artistic starting point for the thesis project, as well as being able to place this within a larger societal, arts internal and/or arts subject and arts didactics framework. Moreover, the candidate can – dependent on whether the academic basis is in music, theatre, or the visual arts respectively – apply the system of concepts of the academic discipline’s theories in his/her thesis project and confront or combine these with theories from other disciplines. Through this course, the candidate will become acquainted with the research forefront of cross-aesthetic and context-oriented arts subject research and development work.

Examination requirements

Each candidate shall, consistent with the chosen form of the thesis, prepare a draft paper or a combination of such a draft and an artistic work to bring to one of the gatherings. In this work, links are to be made to relevant parts of the course reading list and the candidate’s own project. The draft paper is to be made ready before the gathering, and it will be presented there together with any artistic work.

Teaching methods

The course is obligatory. The teaching will be organised into four two-day gatherings (or equivalent). The gatherings will comprise a combination of lectures, seminar discussions, and presentation and discussion of papers and/or artistic development work. In order to support the candidates in the best possible way in their work with the thesis, the course will be tailored so that it has a high degree of flexibility, so that consideration can be taken with regard to changing projects’ particular foci, and possible cross-aesthetic and interdisciplinary points of contact between them

Evaluation

The person responsible for the course, in consultation with the student representative, decides the method of evaluation and whether the courses will have a midterm- or end of term evaluation, see also the Quality System, section 4.1. Information about evaluation method for the course will be posted on Canvas.

Offered as Single Standing Module

Yes.

Assessment methods and criteria

Individual paper with a scope of 10-15 pages of 2400 characters including spaces. If a combination of paper and artistic work is submitted, the paper is to be 5-10 pages of 2400 characters including spaces. The submitted paper or paper/artistic work is to be assessed by the individual with course responsibility and an external examiner. If the paper or paper/example is assessed as a fail, feedback will be given with advice for improvements and a new submissions deadline.

Assessed with the grade: pass/fail.