Summer School Course
University of Groningen, July 8 – 14, 2018
Deadline for Applications: May 1, 2018
In recent years, the multifaceted role of the curator in museums, exhibition spaces, and cultural heritage sites has expanded significantly. In addition to making new acquisitions, developing exhibitions, employing educational strategies, and engaging diverse audiences, curators are also expected to produce innovative scholarship. This course asks how curatorial research relates to academic research conducted at universities. The particular focus of the summer school will be on the increasing interest in interdisciplinary projects that blur the boundaries between art and science. How can objects of artistic and scientific origin forge meaningful relationships? Can contemporary art serve as an ‘enhancement’ of historical scientific collections? How do collections of modern and contemporary art incorporate scientific objects?
Intended for art historians aiming for a career in academia, museums and cultural institutions, as well as junior professionals in those fields, this summer school is devoted to the knowledge, expertise, and skills required to meet the challenge of curating art and science.
In a curriculum that unites critical reading, thinking, and discussion with hands-on experience, the participants will
– be familiarized with recent theories and methods of an object centered art history
– develop theoretical knowledge and practical skills for a curatorial career
– bridge conventional boundaries between art and science, chronological periods, traditional genres, craft, and design as well as material and visual culture
A key feature of the summer school – in addition to lectures, presentations, and discussion – is the creation of an experimental exhibition with objects from the collections of the Groninger Museum and the University Museum. An excursion around the Netherlands enables participants to meet with curators on site.
The Department of Art History at the University of Groningen, in collaboration with the Groninger Museum and Ghent University, will offer this program in collaboration with scholars, museum directors, and curators, including: Andreas Blühm, Koenraad Jonckheere, Eric Jorink, Sue-an van der Zijpp, and special guest Ivan Gaskell (Bard Graduate Center, New York City).
For more information, and the online application form: https://www.rug.nl/education/
Contact:
summerschoolarthistory@rug.nl