Post-Critical Museology: Radical Theory and Practice in the (Art) Museum

Graduate seminar in Art History / Arts Administration and Policy
Taught at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Spring 2018–present

This course looks at collecting and exhibiting institutions in all their complexity from the critical perspective of radical museology. It introduces students to progressive museum thinking and transformative practices built on the legacy of poststructuralist/postcolonial studies, with a global focus. Together, we examine the multifaceted nature of museums as sites of canon-formation, tourist destinations, significant players in cultural diplomacy, and potential venues for social advocacy. Reaching beyond exhibition-making, the class considers research programs, acquisition policies, publishing tactics, and educational goals of art and non-art museums alike. We address the politics of cultural representation, the shifting paradigms of knowledge production, the tricky imperative of audience participation, and the growth of global mega-museums, with all its ethical implications. For the final projects, students critically assess a particular museological issue based on an interview with a selected professional.  

Please contact me for a copy of the syllabus.