What Is Contemporary Art?

About this course

See the world through the eyes of today’s visionaries. Contemporary art can be challenging, but artists working today provide us with a direct lens to see the social, political, and technological shifts of our time. Whether you are a student building your academic foundation or a professional looking to sharpen your creative intuition, this course is structured around enduring themes to help you understand art being made today. This course from The Museum of Modern Art will lead you to go beyond the "what" to discover the "how" and "why" of making art. Hear directly from global artists, architects, and designers about new approaches to traditional mediums like painting and sculpture as well as cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence and 3-D printing. You’ll also have the chance to explore public art, performance, and interventions into television and video games. By the end of this course, you will gain the confidence to engage with art wherever you encounter it and the tools to connect global creative trends to your own life and practice. Career Application: This course uses contemporary art as a lens to analyze the technological, political, and social shifts defining our current landscape. By gaining fluency in the methodologies of today’s visionaries, you’ll develop the strategic foresight and creative intuition necessary to anticipate global cultural trends, innovate with emerging technologies like AI, and navigate complex public discourse in media and design.

Course objectives

• Enhance creative intuition through contemporary artistic methodologies
• Develop skills to interpret and critique modern artworks
• Explore the impact of political and social shifts on art