Master of Research in Exhibition Studies

Applications for the MRes Art: Exhibition Studies programme at University of the Arts London are open for 2021 entry.

Delivered in collaboration with Afterall Research Centre, this postgraduate research course based at Central Saint Martins examines the history of contemporary art from the perspective of the exhibition form—analysing how artworks are encountered by publics and shaped by display, discourse and critical reception. 

The course is directly tailored to individual interests and strengths, offering rigorous research training and a supportive environment for advanced study. It is led by course co-leaders David Morris and Helena Vilalta, alongside course faculty, and joined by Afterall colleagues such as Lucy Steeds and Charles Esche. Recent visiting lecturers include Bridget R. Cooks, Jemma Desai, Hammad Nasar, Louise Shelley, Rebecca Gordon-Nesbitt, Yaiza Hernández, Maria Tereza Alves, María Berríos, Elena Filipovic, Pablo Lafuente, Marysia Lewandowska, Vali Mahlouji, Vera Mey, Morgan Quaintance, Amrita Dhallu, Viviana Checchia, Catalina Imizcoz, Paul O’Neill, Farid Rakun, Laurence Rassel, Filipa Ramos, Grace Samboh, Gayatri Sinha, Christian Nyampeta, Zarina Muhammad and Gabriela de la Puente (The White Pube), Lee Weng Choy, ruangrupa and many others.

The Exhibition Studies programme will introduce you to significant debates and methodological approaches in the field of contemporary art, and trace key developments in the exhibition form from the early 20th century to the present. You will gain in-depth knowledge of the history of exhibitions, as well as paying close attention to alternative articulations of the exhibition form outside of institutional structures. MRes Art: Exhibition Studies promotes the idea that research should not only cover biennales and mega-shows and calls for more analysis and documentation of the under-explored exhibition histories of the global south and the peripheral north. You will examine archetypal figures within exhibition-making: the professional curator, the globetrotting artist, the cultural producer, the dealer and the corporate patron or collector; alongside alternative relationships of solidarity, resistance, protest and experimentation.

With an intake of around ten students per year, MRes Art: Exhibition Studies is a two-year programme that offers an intimate and collaborative environment for developing an independent research-led programme of study. Throughout your studies, you will receive support through tutorials, workshops, group critiques and discussions. This will enable you to develop the critical skills necessary to interpret artistic and curatorial practice in relation to its social context, and to develop theoretically rigorous arguments about contemporary culture.

MRes Art: Exhibition Studies is offered in extended full-time mode which runs for 60 weeks over two academic years. You will be expected to commit 30 hours per week to study, which includes teaching time and independent study. The course has been designed in this way to enable you to pursue studies, while also undertaking part-time employment, internships or care responsibilities. Full information on course admissions, timetables and fees is available at the course homepage at Central Saint Martins. 

We recommend you apply by May 1 to avoid disappointment. We reserve the right to close applications earlier than the given deadline subject to spaces available. 

Applicants wishing to qualify for the UAL UK/EU/International Postgraduate Scholarships should apply as early as possible.

An online open day will take place on April 19: see course homepage for details.