Screen Cultures and Practices: Apparatus, Institutions, Knowledges

Course goals

By the end of this course, the student will have: 

• developed knowledge about practices and principles involved in archiving, curating, and presenting of screen-based culture(s) from various institutional and extra-institutional frameworks. 
• developed knowledge of methods and concepts that enable the description, analysis, and critical discussion of contemporary curatorial and design practices related to screens and related apparatuses. 
• trained to succinctly, clearly, and carefully analyze, summarize, and discuss** the main ideas from assigned academic texts and case studies. 
• trained to professionally communicate insights, reflections, and questions** about the discussed topics through oral presentations, group discussions, and academic writing. 
• trained to reflect on the relevance of course topics and readings in relation to your own research expertise and interests, developing skills applicable to academic or professional projects.

Content

This course is for students in the RMA Media, Arts and Performance Studies, NLC, CLS, Art History, Musicology, and Gender Studies. The entrance requirements for Exchange Students will be checked by the International Office and the Programme coordinator. You do not have to contact the Programme coordinator yourself. Students from other MA programmes should check with the course coordinator before enrolling. Only this way participation can be granted.

This course offers a series of encounters with practices and practitioners involved in the archiving, curating, presenting, making, and studying of screens and related apparatuses. Screens, as knowledge-creating objects, not only reflect culture but are central to its production. The aim of the course centers on analyzing the design and curation of exhibitions, installations, programs, online platforms, and other innovative formats for engaging with screen-based culture(s).

You will critically examine how these practices—within their respective institutional, extra-institutional, and discursive frameworks—apply principles such as reuse, (re-)framing, exhibition, storytelling, visualization, and other forms of materialization. This analysis will reveal how these principles contribute to knowledge production in various contexts.
Throughout the course, you will explore how contemporary practices not only provide access to collections but also actively shape living heritage. By encountering, discussing, and reflecting on these practices, you will draw upon your own research expertise and interests. This process will help you develop analytical and reflexive skills applicable to future research, whether for your thesis or other academic and professional projects.

Additional information

Career orientation:
This course develops skills in analyzing and reflecting on material and discursive practices related to the archiving, curating, and presenting of screen-based culture(s). Students will gain experience engaging with diverse apparatuses and formats, and will critically examine and compare contemporary practices within institutional and extra-institutional contexts. Through these encounters and reflections, students will cultivate analytical and reflexive skills that are applicable to a wide range of professional and research settings. The course also emphasizes professional and academic argumentation and presentation, preparing students for academic and/or professional careers in cultural institutions, industries, and education.