Art and Architecture in London

About

This module is an interdisciplinary module that explores the relationship between art and architecture through visits to London’s famous museums, art galleries, public artworks and iconic architecture.

You will analyse the impact architecture has on viewing art with seminars which will take place in some of London’s most famous museums and galleries such as the British Museum, Tate Modern and the Victoria & Albert Museum.

The module will then consider alternatives to this model, including more recent curatorial phenomena by organisations such as ArtAngel which commission contemporary artists to make artworks in unexpected places: from a performance in an abandoned Underground station to a concrete cast of an entire house.

Through the lens of specific case studies of art and architecture, the module will examine relevant critical issues such as race, globalisation and environmental justice. In doing so, you will interrogate how urban circumstances have shaped issues in modern and contemporary art and architecture in London.

Week one: Art, Architecture and the Modern City
Introduction to theories of modernism and modernity
Photography and the City: The rise of modernism
Urban materiality: Art, artefacts and materials of London

Week two: London’s Mega-Museums
The 20th century art museum as iconic architectural landmark
The role of mass media and visual technologies in contemporary art
Diaspora art, British colonialism and its legacy

Week three: Alternative Art Spaces in London
Public art and large-scale urban art projects in London
Contemporary art and architecture: Urban community and collaboration
Care and nature, decay and regeneration

Course leader

Dr Daisy Silver

Course aim

This module aims to:

- Provide an interdisciplinary reading of the relationship between art and architecture.
- Examine how art and architecture in modern and contemporary contexts are deeply intertwined, often reflecting broader cultural, social and technological shifts.
- Seek to expand your knowledge and awareness of the social and political theories that underpin these fields, with a particular focus on London as a dynamic cultural and urban centre.
- Widen your understanding of London urbanism and culture by examining innovative approaches in displaying modern and contemporary art.
- Encourage you to formulate and articulate your own perspectives on the evolving relationship between these disciplines in the modern and contemporary periods.

Fee info