Course description
As contemporary art continues to evolve and challenge, it finds new ways to engage the viewer.
Introduction to Contemporary Art provides students with a roadmap for understanding contemporary art by examining critical works by artists including Donald Judd, Barbara Kruger, Tania Bruguera, Kara Walker, Julio Delgado, and Alfredo Jaar, among many others.
Through lectures and discussions, this course captures contemporary art’s complex trajectory, exploring the central themes, as well as the ideas behind some of the most important works of the past 60 years. By carefully studying the context of contemporary art, students will gain an appreciation of the impact that momentous social, political, and cultural events have had in inspiring dramatic innovation in the arts. At the end of the course, students will have acquired a comfort level with artworks that might have previously seemed challenging or inaccessible.
Upcoming start dates
Suitability - Who should attend?
For successfully completing this course, you receive a verified Certificate of Completion from Sotheby’s Institute of Art as well as 2.5 IACET Continuing Education Units. *
Our digital certificates allow you to share new skills with various social media platforms, including LinkedIn. Successful completion is defined by each instructor in the course syllabus and consists, at the least, of regular, thoughtful participation in online activities and timely submission of assigned papers or projects.
*As an IACET Accredited Provider, Sotheby’s Institute of Art offers IACET CEUs for its learning events that comply with the ANSI/IACET Continuing Education and Training Standard.
Training Course Content
Week 1: Understand the role of minimalism and conceptual art in sculpture.
Week 2: Explore and interpret meaning in performance art.
Week 3: Examine strategies of appropriation and media influences on art.
Week 4: Understand methods of activist art and participatory engagement.
Week 5: Explore globalization and dialogue between traditional and contemporary art.
Week 6: Discover the intersection of art and technology.
Course delivery details
Award-winning online course
Request info
Sotheby's Institute of Art
Sotheby’s auction house was founded in 1744 when Samuel Baker, an entrepreneur, occasional publisher, and successful businessman held his first auction. Today at Sotheby’s Institute, we emphasize a keen understanding of an object’s value and history, a spirit of inquiry...