What Is Contemporary Art?

What is contemporary art? In this course, you’ll explore this question through more than 70 works of art made from 1980 to the present, with a focus on art of the last decade. You’ll hear directly from artists, architects, and designers from around the globe about their creative processes, materials, and inspiration. 3D printed glass and sculptures made of fiber. Dance performed in the factory and the museum. Hacking into television and video games. Portraits made with paint or artificial intelligence. Intimate explorations of the body and collective actions. In this course, you’ll learn about artworks in both traditional and surprising mediums, all drawn from the collection of The Museum of Modern Art. Each week we’ll look at contemporary art from a different theme: Media from Television to the Internet, Territories & Transit, Materials & Making, Agency, and Power. Artists invite us into their studios and out into their neighborhoods, and to experiment with the materials they use. Not only will you develop a deeper understanding of artists’ practices today but also some of the many ways they respond to pressing issues and questions of our time. By taking this course, you’ll gain confidence to look at contemporary art wherever you encounter it and make connections to your own life or creative practice.