Study programme

'Trends and shifts: Current research in art history and its institutions' looks at current developments in theory, methodology and historiography such as transcultural history, post-colonial theory, gender questions, material culture and the ways this affects both art history and curatorial, collection and preservation practices in art institutions and museums.

'Artful Algorithms: Digital Approaches to the Study of Art and Culture' explores how innovations in computer science open new vistas onto the art historical past. Approaches include image vision techniques, 3D capture and modelling, and immersive ways of displaying and engaging with visual and material culture.

'Curating the art exhibition: past, present and future' (semester course, period 1 and 2) explores historical and contemporary exhibition practices. It deals with aspects such as decolonizing, decentralizing, interactivity and participation, inclusion, transhistorical exhibitions, education and mediation… Students are brought into contact with museums and art institutions at the forefront of current art and exhibitionary practices. The course is mainly thought through excursions and contact with curators and museum conservators.

'Ecologies of Art: Ways of Making, Conserving, and Knowing' in which the general theme is art as knowledge. Some questions raised are: how do artists communicate this knowledge? what is the epistemic function of materials and techniques? Which role do objects and collections play in the production and consumption of knowledge?

'Global and transcultural encounters in Art History' explores amongst others Netherlandish art from the early modern period to the present day through the lens of the new approach of “Global Art History”. In the second half of the course the time line will be extended to the global art world of the 20th-21st centuries and contemporary approaches. Some themes are: global versus local; the agency of material culture; Orientalism and the exotic; cultural appropriation and hybridity; cross-mediality.

The course 'Designing your research: disciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches' prepares you for your thesis in Year 2. You explore a topic of your choice theoretically historiographical and methodological. You will gain insight into the difference between a disciplinary and interdisciplinary approach. You explore and review existing research.

You take an elective from Art History or from another programme or University. Art History offers several Research tutorials for you to choose from: Research tutorial Art History: Period focus; Research Tutorial Curating Art and Heritage; Research Tutorial Global and Transcultural Art Practices; Research Tutorial Digital, Material and Technical Art History.

Another elective Art History course is 'Meet the creators and makers: art, studio and related practices' from the Renaissance to Contemporary art. In this elective course students learn about historical and contemporary studio practices, visit artists studio’s turned into research centers or museums, learn how you can interview artists about their ways of working, material use, use of concepts and artistic ideas.