Unit Outline

This unit invites you to find your way through the field of contemporary art. You will unpick moments of change and transition within a broader context of local, national, and global histories of art, and to see yourself as an active participant in creating change. Using place-based, cartographic, and visual strategies, this unit introduces you to key contemporary, historical, philosophical and cultural debates in the visual arts and the continued connectivity art practices share with the past. You will take a critical stance in relation to the role of critical and professional writing, understanding how writing can articulate, define and challenge our thinking about art and its histories. You will be guided through the interrelationship between ideas, discussion, making and writing, enabling you to establish and articular arguments vital to understanding the place of contemporary visual art in a global context. A variety of assessment tasks will bring together reading, writing and making to facilitate the productive links between these modes of creative communication.

Intended Learning Outcomes

As per the Assessment and Results Policy 1.3, your results will reflect your achievement against specified learning outcomes.

On completion of this unit, you will be able to:


1.	Locate and express the critical, historical, cultural, and technological contexts relevant to contemporary creative practice
2.	Identify and employ processes of discourse, and research methodologies in a range of critical and expressive forms
3.	Construct critical arguments using appropriate forms of writings and making
4.	Work collaboratively, constructively, and respectfully within group and individual learning contexts.

Requisites


REQUISITE TYPE	REQUISITES
Pre-requisite	25 credit points of Critical Practices Core
Anti-requisite (mutual excl)	FSA321 Critical Practices 3A

Alterations as a result of student feedback

How will I be Assessed?

For more detailed assessment information please see MyLO.

Assessment schedule


ASSESSMENT TASK #	ASSESSMENT TASK NAME	DATE DUE	WEIGHT	LINKS TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Assessment Task 1:	Critical portfolio of writings	Week 4	40 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
Assessment Task 2:	Flag	Week 13	40 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
Assessment Task 3:	Journaling	Week 14	20 %	LO1, LO2, LO3

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: Critical portfolio of writings

Task Description:

A critical portfolio of writings that reflect on recent strategies to decolonise collections and the role of the artist in undertaking interventions within institutions and archives.

Task Length:

1500 words

Due Date:

Week 4

Weight:

40 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Develop a strategy of intervention within an established structure or institution	LO2
2	Reflect on different historical and cultural strategies for organising ideas and material	LO3
3	Synthesise and evaluate the ideas of others	LO1, LO4

Assessment Task 2: Flag

Task Description:

Prepare a ‘flag’ for exhibition. This flag may be a manipulation or alteration of an existing work, or entirely original. It need not follow a logic of national or international flags, and may employ protest, slogan, and/or appropriation. The flag should be 2-dimensional but may employ collage, relief, video, sound and may be presented in digital format.

Task Length:

Folio of works

Due Date:

Week 13

Weight:

40 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Demonstrate a range of skills through developing an original idea for a flag.	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
2	Communicate and exhibit a creative work that demonstrates a clear intention.	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
3	Evaluate and document strategies for making and presenting creative work	LO3, LO4

Assessment Task 3: Journaling

Task Description:

Journal: Submit as a digital likeness (scanned or photographed) a range of activities, practical experiments, discussions, and independent research conducted throughout this unit.

Task Length:

24 pages, or equivalent as agreed with Unit Coordinator

Due Date:

Week 14

Weight:

20 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Identify and locate a set of research materials and contexts appropriate to a field or theme of study	LO1, LO2, LO3
2	Evaluate the use of contextual references in a research plan	LO1, LO2, LO3
3	Communicate a range of research resources	LO1, LO2, LO3

How your final result is determined

To pass this unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of each of the Intended Learning Outcomes, achieve a final unit grade of 50% or greater, and pass any hurdle tasks.

Submission of assignments

Where practicable, assignments should be submitted to an assignment submission folder in MYLO. You must submit assignments by the due date or receive a penalty (unless an extension of time has been approved by the Unit Coordinator). Students submitting any assignment in hard copy, or because of a practicum finalisation, must attach a student cover sheet and signed declaration for the submission to be accepted for marking.

Requests for extensions

If you are unable to submit an assessment task by the due date, you should apply for an extension.

A request for an extension should first be discussed with your Unit Coordinator or teaching support team where possible. A request for an extension must be submitted by the assessment due date, except where you can provide evidence it was not possible to do so. Typically, an application for an extension will be supported by documentary evidence: however, where it is not possible for you to provide evidence please contact your Unit Coordinator.

The Unit Coordinator must notify you of the outcome of an extension request within 3 working days of receiving the request.

Late penalties

Assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a late penalty of 5% of the original available mark for each calendar day (or part day) that the assignment is late. Late submissions will not be accepted more than 10 calendar days after the due date, or after assignments have been returned to other students on a scheduled date, whichever occurs first. Further information on Late Penalties can be found on the Assessments and Results Procedure.

Review of results and appeals

You are entitled to ask for a review of the marking and grading of your assessment task if there is an irregularity in the marking standards or an error in the process for determining the outcome of an assessment. Details on how to request a review of a mark for an assignment are outlined in the Review and Appeal of Academic Decisions Procedure.