ARHT3683: Semester 1, 2026

Units ARHT3683 Semester 1 2026 [Normal day]

Unit outline_

ARHT3683: Sensation: Encountering Contemporary Art

Semester 1, 2026 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Today transformations in how art is made, networked, theorised and curated is indelibly tied to new and expanded ways of encountering contemporary art. From political imperatives of decolonisation, globalisation and the environment, indigeneity, to feminist and queer art, or art as spectacle, new impetuses for artmaking and curating are dynamically changing the cultural landscape. Social media and the digital turn offer new modes of engaging with contemporary visual culture. This unit addresses these recent transformations to explore the expanded field of contemporary art in the digital sphere and in the physical encounter with art in local art spaces, galleries, biennales and beyond.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Art History
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	12 credit points at 2000 level in Art History or (6 credit points at 2000 level in Art History and CASF1001 and CASF1002)
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	ARHT2024
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Donna Brett, donna.brett@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Tanya Peterson, tanya.peterson@sydney.edu.au

Assessment

The census date for this unit availability is 31 March 2026

Details
Criteria

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length	Use of AI
Presentation	Presentation Group Presentation	20%	Multiple weeks	500 words equivalent	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Written work	Exhibition Video Review Exhibition review/critique	30%	Week 06 Due date: 30 Mar 2026 at 23:59 Closing date: 17 Apr 2026	1500 wd equiv	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Research analysis	Research Project Essay	50%	Week 13 Due date: 25 May 2026 at 23:59 Closing date: 01 Jun 2026	2500 words	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
= group assignment ?

Assessment summary

All assessments must be attempted to pass this unit.

Assessment criteria

Assessment grading will be available on Canvas.

For more information see guide to grades.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

You can use generative AI tools for open assessments. Restrictions on AI use apply to secure, supervised assessments used to confirm if students have met specific learning outcomes.

Refer to the assessment table above to see if AI is allowed, for assessments in this unit and check Canvas for full instructions on assessment tasks and AI use.

If you use AI, you must always acknowledge it. Misusing AI may lead to a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

Late submission In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date: Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date. After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The University expects students to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

Our website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. This includes advice on how to avoid common breaches of academic integrity. Ensure that you have completed the Academic Honesty Education Module (AHEM) which is mandatory for all commencing coursework students

Penalties for serious breaches can significantly impact your studies and your career after graduation. It is important that you speak with your unit coordinator if you need help with completing assessments.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	What is Contemporary Art?	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 02	Contemporary Art: World Currents	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 02	Contemporary Art: World Currents	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 03	Feminist Practices: Bodies, Genders, Performance	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 03	Feminist Practices: Bodies, Genders, Performance	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 04	Contemporary Queer Practices	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 04	CCWM on campus gallery visit	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 05	Contemporary Art, Witnessing and Reparative Aesthetics	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 05	Contemporary Art, Witnessing and Reparative Aesthetics	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 06	Rememory: “revisiting, reconstructing, and reclaiming histories” AGNSW Biennale Site Visit	Fieldwork (3 hr)
Week 07	Rememory: “revisiting, reconstructing, and reclaiming histories”s	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 07	Art, Environment, Activism, and Immersive Experiences	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 08	Curating Contemporary Art	Fieldwork (3 hr)
Week 09	Digital and Networked Futures	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 09	Digital and Networked Futures	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 10	Festival of Presentations! Student Presentations	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 11	Contemporary Art, Decolonisation and Historical Returns	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 11	Contemporary Art, Archives and Historical Returns	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 12	Occupying the Streets: Encounters with Storytelling, Place and Resistance	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 12	SCA Gallery on campus gallery visit	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 13	Overview: Contemporary Perspectives and Art in Australia	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 13	Overview: Contemporary Perspectives and Art in Australia	Tutorial (1 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance is compulsory in lectures and tutorial. This unit is run in a 3-hour block to allow site visits, discussion, debate. Please advise the coordinators of any absences.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

See Canvas for required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. Understand and articulate key issues in contemporary art through critical analysis of objects, media, texts, and exhibition practice
LO2. Demonstrate appropriate skills of critical analysis and persuasive writing and speaking on works of contemporary art
LO3. Encounter art ‘in situ’ in sustained ways, interacting with objects and sites of study directly through fieldwork, gallery-based learning and exhibition experience.
LO4. Engage with confidence in current critical debates and discussions in the field of Contemporary art and encounter a range of methods of art historical enquiry.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

This is a new unit

Additional information

Additional costs

public transport costs

Site visit guidelines

Site Visits will be supervised by academic staff. Guidelines will be available on Canvas.

Work, health and safety

none

Disclaimer

Important: the University of Sydney regularly reviews units of study and reserves the right to change the units of study available annually. To stay up to date on available study options, including unit of study details and availability, refer to the relevant handbook.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Additional costs

Site visit guidelines

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links