Humanities (research): Critical Studies in Art and Culture

The Critical Studies in Art and Culture track focuses on current developments within four main disciplines – visual arts, architecture, design and media – from both a theoretical and a historical perspective. In a globalised cultural world in which art, architecture, design and media are ever more closely integrated, disciplinary boundaries are called into question and challenged. But a thorough grounding in older and newer disciplines such as art history, architectural history, design culture and media studies is a prerequisite for asking these questions.

You’ll focus on the analysis of visual objects: artefacts in various media that function as images. This ranges from landscapes, cities and buildings to artworks in various media, as well as film, television, design and games. Notions such as inter-, cross- and transmediality play an important role. Since artefacts, media and forms of intermediality can only exist in specific social, institutional, economical and ideological contexts and networks, Critical Studies in Art and Culture will equip you with the analytical and critical tools necessary for analysing these. Each of the four main disciplines bring specific theories and methods to the table, and the programme seeks to highlight their interconnectedness, with reference to their specific potential as well as their possible limitations.