MRes Art: Exhibition Studies

Applications for the MRes Art: Exhibition Studies at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London are open for 2023 entry.

Delivered in collaboration with Afterall Research Centre, this postgraduate course 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.

MRes Art: Exhibition Studies 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. The course 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.

Faculty and visiting lecturers
MRes Art: Exhibition Studies is led by course co-leaders David Morris and Helena Vilalta, alongside course faculty, and joined by Afterall colleagues such as Elisa Adami, Adjoa Armah, Wing Chan, Adeena Mey 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.

Study mode
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, fees and scholarships is available at the course homepage at Central Saint Martins. 

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