Default Text Size | Larger Text Size

Moodle | Search | Site Map | Staff Intranet | Staff Email | Student Email | IT Support | Athens Login | Students Union

Research

• Research News
• Contact Us
• Research at NCAD
• NCAD research environment
• Key Research Areas
• Contemporary art and philosophy
  • Projects
  • People
• People
• Doing a Research Degree @ NCAD
• Research Events
• Application Forms
• Application Guidelines

A PhD seminar at NCAD where researchers discuss their work with peers (2005)

A group of MFA students responding to an exhibition of postgraduate work in the Digital Hub (2006)

A group of MA Art in the Contemporary World students attend a seminar by artist Jay Koh (2006)

Theories of Contemporary Art:
Situation, Modernity, Mediums and Philosophy

This themeatic addresses the theories and practices of contemporary art. It considers the different theoretical and practical contexts within which contemporary practice can be situated. Broadly speaking there are four main themes around which the research in the faculty is clustered; they are conceived of in terms of space, history, form and thought. They are:

Situation (space)

Definitions and theories of the situated-ness of contemporary practice seek to reveal and question the place and purpose of art in the world. This includes interrogating the specificity of place in relation to art practice and negotiating the relationships between local and global situations and practices.

Modernity (history)

Definitions and theories of Modernism and Modernity continue to exert an influence on the theory and practice of contemporary art and there is a broad renegotiation of the modernist project within contemporary art history as well as curatorial discourse, art practice and criticism.

Mediums (form)

Definitions and theories of artistic media form a dominant strand within the theory and practice of contemporary art. This includes interrogating the definitions and particularities of different media; revealing the historical specificity of new and old media and producing theoretical accounts of the different perceptual qualities and affects of different media.

Philosophies (thought)

Definitions and theories of art draw upon a wide variety of theoretical sources including philosophy, aesthetics, cultural theory, sociology amongst others. They must negotiate the complex intertwining (of distinction and overlay) between different modes of thinking and writing such as art history, criticism and philosophy.

Contact

If you have specific questions about postgraduate applications please contact the Admissions Office at:

• Phone: 353 (0)1 6364200
• Fax: 353 (0)1 6364207
• E-mail: fios@ncad.ie

Office Hours 9:30-12:45 and 14:00-17:00.

[The Admissions Office is closed to the public on Friday afternoons.]

If you have more general questions about postgraduate study at NCAD please contact: postgraduate@ncad.ie