Contemporary Art Theory (Taught)

The MA Contemporary Art Theory is for those with a passionate interest in contemporary art, and a desire to reshape or contribute to theoretical work in the subject.

Why study MA Contemporary Art Theory at Goldsmiths

• This Masters explores a range of theoretical perspectives that shape art and visual culture, and attitudes towards them in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

• You’ll be encouraged to conceptually and creatively explore the ways in which contemporary artistic practice and urgent theoretical and political matters intersect.

• You’ll expand your knowledge of contemporary artistic developments and deepen your understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of academic discourses on visual culture.

• The degree draws on the shifting fields of performance studies, art history, continental philosophy, ecology, feminist theory, queer theory, postcolonial/decolonial studies, and cultural studies in addressing the critical challenges posed by artistic practice, and you’ll be able to focus on an aspect that particularly interests you.

• We host internationally renowned artists, theorists, activists, curators and filmmakers – including our award-winning alumni – in our termly thematically organised Visual Cultures Public Programme. Recent themes include ‘Race and/as Technology,’ ‘Terminal Tourism,’ and ‘Volatility Cultures.’

• Teaching is research-led and you will be taught by tutors who are leaders in their field.