Modern and Contemporary Art and Design Specialization

What is contemporary art? In this course, you’ll consider this question through works of art made since 1980. Hear directly from artists, architects, and designers from around the globe about their creative processes, materials, and inspiration. You’ll look at 3D–printed glass and fiber sculptures, performances in a factory and a museum, portraits (including those made with artificial intelligence) and interventions into television and video games.

Not only will you develop a deeper understanding of how artists work today, you’ll also explore some of their approaches to the pressing issues and questions of our time. By taking this course, you’ll build skills for looking at contemporary art wherever you encounter it and make connections to your own life or creative practice.

Fashion as Design focuses on a selection of garments and accessories from around the world, ranging from kente cloth and denim to turtlenecks, swimwear, and 3D-printed dresses. Through these garments, you’ll take a closer look at what we wear, why we wear it, how it’s made, and what it means. Hear directly from a range of designers, makers, historians, and others working with clothing every day—and, in some cases, reinventing it for the future. Studio visits, interviews, and other resources introduce the history and development of each garment and their changing uses, meanings, and impact over time.