In this course students are introduced to the central place of concepts in contemporary art practice and simultaneously, how to work with those concepts using sculptural materials to make their own artworks. Through various group critique and discussion formats, students develop critical skills to evaluate and understand contemporary artworks in relation to their historical context. Students are introduced to essential skills, techniques and processes of three-dimensional construction and installation. Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) instruction is an integral part of this course.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. use, create and discuss methods and strategies in Modern and Contemporary art practice;
2. make artworks that critically engage with historical and contemporary art practices;
3. conduct research into the practices and discourses around Modern and Contemporary Art and apply findings to creative production; and
4. substantiate artistic outcomes with research and rationale.

Field Trips

In Weeks 1, 2, 5 & 7 the class will visit local Gallery's and an Artist Studio/Workshop

Additional Course Costs

Students may incur additional costs for excursions (transportation, food, and drink) and for art materials utilised in projects.

$20 towards bus hire from Studio Fees

Recommended Resources

ANU outlines recommended student system requirements to ensure you are able to participate fully in your learning. Other information is also available about the various Learning Platforms you may use.

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• written comments
• verbal comments
• feedback to whole class, groups, individuals, focus group etc

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). Feedback can also be provided to Course Conveners and teachers via the Student Experience of Learning & Teaching (SELT) feedback program. SELT surveys are confidential and also provide the Colleges and ANU Executive with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Introduction. Plinths and the power of placement. SoAD Gallery visit (1)	WHS: Evidence of induction through signature of student and TO in relevant equipment folder.
2	Hanging - installing works - Gallery Visit (2)
3	Tooling Up - developing skills - personal shelters
4	Projections, Lights, Form, Shadows - collaborative shelters	Due: Assessment 1 (20%)
5	Gallery Visit (3) - Work on Assessment 2
6	Presentations Assessment Item #2	Due: Assessment 2 (20%)
7	Artist Studio Visit
8	Re-imagined Objects 1- (Material)
9	Re-imagined Objects 2 - (Supports)
10	Exhibition Proposal Project 1 - Research + Studio Folio Documentation	Assessment Task 4 milestone: Consolidate documentation for Shelters, Reimagined Objects studio exercises and Gallery/Artist Studio visits
11	Exhibition Proposal 2 - Maquettes
12	Exhibition Proposal 3 - Presentations and Exhibition of works	Due: Assessment Item 4 (30%) Due: Assessment 4 (30%) Week 13

Tutorial Registration

ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Engagement, Reflection & Documentation	25 %	16/08/2024	23/08/2024	1, 3
Individual Oral Presentation	15 %	29/08/2024	09/09/2024	1,2,3,4
Studio Projects and Gallery/Artist Studio Visit Documentation	30 %	31/10/2024	28/11/2023	1,2,3
Group Exhibition Proposal Task	30 %	08/10/2024	28/11/2024	1,2,3,4

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines , which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Integrity Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Extenuating Circumstances Application
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure
• Code of practice for teaching and learning

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the Academic Skills website. In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Wattle’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Assessment Task 1

Engagement, Reflection & Documentation

Value: 100 points (20% of final mark)

Due date: 16 August 2024, 5pm

Return date: 23 August 2024

Late submission: Minus 5 points per day

Details of Task:

• Online Participation: Cumulative participation and reflection from weeks 1 – 3 - response to weekly Wattle prompts
• You will post some of these (the ones that visually depict or demonstrate some idea, phenomenon, or finding) to the Weekly Forum along with responses to some prompts for reflection. If you have missed a class, you can instead make a post that reflects on the images, responses, and work of at least 3 others from class.
• Studio: Make notes, photographs, and provide documentation for the activities that you do in class in Weeks 1-4.

Rubric

	Exceeds expectations	Meets expectations	Does not meet expectations
Posting to Weekly Class forum after class, weeks 1-3 Documentation of works made in class/ Gallery visits Wk 1-3	Reflective response considers alternatives Visual material and/ or reflective response meaningfully reference the other Discusses the work of other students, or other historical or contemporary artists	Responds thoughtfully to prompts for reflection Includes photographs, drawings, and/or diagrams from notebook	Fails to respond to prompts or responds carelessly Fails to include visual material or visuals seem unrelated to the reflection

Assessment Task 2

Individual Oral Presentation

Value: 100 points (20% of final mark)

Due date: 29 August

Return date 9th September

Late submission: Minus 5 points per day

Presentation requirements:

• PP presentation - analysis of 2 works of art, describing, analyzing, and critiquing the support structures that have been used in these artworks. There should be a connection between either the artworks or the support structures, so that there is a comparison rather than two unrelated analyses. 
• Students will be guided to selected sources to select examples of work to analyse, compare and discuss. An assignment brief and introduction will be provided in class with the opportunity to discuss critical approaches to display and support strategies across a range of media including objects, installations, performances and conceptual works. 
• Presentations should include at least one photograph of each artwork along with a detail drawing (by the student) that shows the support structures employed. Some of these may be hidden, in which case the structures might need to be imaginatively reverse engineered! 
• Presentations in PP must include references formatted in the Chicago style in a slide at the end. Two of these references must be from the selected sources.

Rubric

	Exceeds expectations	Meets expectations	Does not meet expectations
Description, analysis and critique of artworks and supports	highly articulate analysis of selected works and supports, clear and insightful connections made	articulate analysis of selected works and supports, clear connections made	unclear analysis of selected works and supports, and relationships
Visual material (drawings and images) and references	high quality images and drawings, well referenced	good quality images and drawings, appropriately referenced	poor quality images and drawings, insufficiently referenced
Discussion and collaboration with group	References innovative and relevant formal and conceptual examples from contemporary art Gives constructive critical feedback to classmates Facilitates collaborative processes	References relevant formal and conceptual examples from contemporary art Comments occasionally on classmates Contributes to discussions of	Doesn't references formal and conceptual examples from contemporary art Doesn't engage with the work of classmates Doesn't contribute ideas or feedback about complex

Assessment Task 3

Studio Projects and Gallery/Artist Studio Visit Documentation

Studio work: Presentation of folio of Documentation for Studio Projects and Gallery/Artist Studio visits

Due: 31 October

Late submission: Minus 5 points per day

Part A : Shelters and Light + Gallery Visit (10%)

Part B : Re-imagining Objects + Artist Studio visit (10%)

Part C: Group Exhibition Proposal (10%)

Documentation of three studio assignments submitted online as either visual diary or a PP portfolio including sketches and developmental works, research notes and reflective writing, documentation of completed projects. 

Rubric

	Exceeds expectations	Meets expectations	Does not meet expectations
Documentation of projects, samples processes, experiments, reflections, images, sketches	Highly engaged and thorough documentation of projects, processes and experiments undertaken with insightful reflective notes	Engaged and thorough documentation of projects, processes and experiments undertaken with reflective notes	No documentation of projects, processes and experiments or reflective notes
Artists/ Gallery Visits	Highly engaged observations and documentation (with permission) of selected works and support materials	Engaged observations and documentation (with permission) of selected works and support materials	Documentation and observations dont support folio
Context	Highly engaged research into relevant contemporary artists and art practices to extend/support documentation folios	Engaged research into relevant contemporary artists and art practices to extend/support documentation folios	Unclear how research is relevant to contemporary artists and art practices Unable to extend/support documentation folios

Assessment Task 4

Group Exhibition Proposal Task

Value: 100 points (30% of final mark)

Due date: 24 October

Late submission: Minus 5 points per day

• Students will form small collectives to discuss, research and submit an exhibition proposal for a particular, identified exhibition space in ACT.
• You will need to research what is currently being shown and how your works might engage a local audience and wider audience.
• Create a curatorial theme/subject/rationale and produce maquettes/prototypes that would potentially be developed to form an exhibition.
• Research will be made into existing spaces/floorplans (eg. Photoaccess, SoAD Gallery, Project Space, CCAS etc)
• Ideas to Consider: What is lacking in the cultural landscape of Canberra that the proposed Exhibition fills? What is the context of the exhibition? What are the relationships of the works to each other? How will they be installed? What is the conceptual, material and formal dialogue between the works? How do you want people to experience them spatially?
• Students will give an account of the current social and political context and their priorities as artists/producers/curators.

A written proposal paper should be 500-600 words long and include: 

• Themes, concepts, contexts
• Materials, scale, supports, lighting, labelling
• What kinds of works are exhibited, how will they be installed?

Group to submit a written paper including Statement of Intent, drawings/prototypes and macquettes that demonstrate the scope and rationale of the proposal

Rubric

	Exceeds expectations	Meets expectations	Does not meet expectations
Written Proposal	Writing creatively furthers the conceptual ambitions of the proposal, support drawings and macquettes highly effective Use of physical supports and display systems critically reflect on the aims of the proposal	Writing is clear and correct, with support drawings and maquettes effective Use of physical supports and display systems are appropriate to the aims of the project	Writing has noticeable unintended errors in grammar, formatting, and other conventions No or irrelevant support drawings and maquettes Use of physical supports and display systems undermine or distract from the aims of the project
Research	Research into local spaces and references chosen are original and discussed meaningfully in the proposal	Research into local spaces and references chosen are relevant to theme and relate formally and/or conceptually to the proposal	Insufficient research into local spaces, references or artists/projects that connect to the proposal
Idea & Context	Identifies a gap/or is in dialogue with Canberra's cultural context in relation to wider national or international context Awareness of broader global concerns of contemporary art and politics Strong connection of values to context	Identifies a gap/or is in dialogue with in Canberra's cultural context Outlines priorities as artists and contextualises envisaged works formally and conceptually Clearly states thematic and material concerns of the proposal	Unclear awareness of Canberra's current cultural/ social/political context Unclear relationship of works to concept Unclear what the thematic and material concerns of the proposal are
Independent and collaborative working (individually assessed)	Critically engages with, challenges and lifts collaborators Develops curatorial themes	Contributes to the writing and production in an equitable and constructive way	Poor communication Leaves others to do extra work without prior agreement Undermines collaborators

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of the ANU culture as a community of scholars. The University’s students are an integral part of that community. The academic integrity principle commits all students to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support, academic integrity, and to uphold this commitment by behaving honestly, responsibly and ethically, and with respect and fairness, in scholarly practice.

The University expects all staff and students to be familiar with the academic integrity principle, the Academic Integrity Rule 2021, the Policy: Student Academic Integrity and Procedure: Student Academic Integrity, and to uphold high standards of academic integrity to ensure the quality and value of our qualifications.

The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 is a legal document that the University uses to promote academic integrity, and manage breaches of the academic integrity principle. The Policy and Procedure support the Rule by outlining overarching principles, responsibilities and processes. The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 commences on 1 December 2021 and applies to courses commencing on or after that date, as well as to research conduct occurring on or after that date. Prior to this, the Academic Misconduct Rule 2015 applies.

 

The University commits to assisting all students to understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. All coursework students must complete the online Academic Integrity Module (Epigeum), and Higher Degree Research (HDR) students are required to complete research integrity training. The Academic Integrity website provides information about services available to assist students with their assignments, examinations and other learning activities, as well as understanding and upholding academic integrity.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) submission must be through Turnitin.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Individual assessment tasks may or may not allow for late submission. Policy regarding late submission is detailed below:

• Late submission not permitted. If submission of assessment tasks without an extension after the due date is not permitted, a mark of 0 will be awarded.
• Late submission permitted. Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

Referencing Requirements

The Academic Skills website has information to assist you with your writing and assessments. The website includes information about Academic Integrity including referencing requirements for different disciplines. There is also information on Plagiarism and different ways to use source material. Any use of artificial intelligence must be properly referenced. Failure to properly cite use of Generative AI will be considered a breach of academic integrity.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. Extensions may be granted for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Accessibility for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents all ANU students