VISU2031: Objects of Desire: Making Sense of the Collections at the Oriental Museum

• None

• None

• None

• To provide students with a critical introduction to the study of Ancient Egyptian, Islamic, South Asian and East Asian art, making use of the collections at the Oriental Museum.
• To explore the nature of cultural influence and cultural exchange
• To develop research, critical writing and presentation skills
• To engage students in problem-based learning and use of I.T.
• To enhance students' employability through experience of handling, analysing and presenting cultural objects.
• To widen the gaze of students and enhance their cultural knowledge, providing them with a social and business advantage as well as an intellectual advantage

• The module reflects upon the history, practice, development and reception of Ancient Egyptian, Islamic, South Asian and East Asian art forms. The curriculum is grounded in the collection of the Oriental Museum and as well as introducing the art in the collection it covers topics such as the origins of the museum, collecting, cultural exchange as well as Orientalism and appropriation.
• Students will choose one object from the collections of the Oriental Museum for their research project. This will form the basis of their audio-visual podcast. They will be guided in their choice and in the art of podcast making for a museum audience.

Subject-specific Knowledge:

• Students will: understand the broad history and development and reception of Ancient Egyptian, Islamic, South Asian and East Asian art forms.
• become familiar with the key ideas that have underpinned its practice and form
• appreciate the processes by which cultural influence and exchange take place
• understand the role of relevant critical literature
• demonstrate specific knowledge of one area related to the object chosen.
• gain fluency in subject-specific terminology

Subject-specific Skills:

• Students will learn how to: handle cultural artefacts in the museum/gallery environment
• access the meanings of cultural artefacts through problem-based learning
• conduct research in archives
• engage in detailed object and image analysis
• think critically about cultural influence and exchange
• present cultural artefacts and their meanings through the use of I.T.
• support views with appropriate use of argument, example and associated reading
• value the artistic production of other cultures

Key Skills:

• Students will: improve presentation skills
• Develop written and verbal communication skills
• develop I.T. skills
• develop research skills
• develop critical analysis skills
• learn to work on their own initiative and to set their own goals
• develop a sense of personal responsibility

• The module is taught through a series of weekly lectures and bi-weekly seminars. There are also site visits to the Oriental Museum that enable students to familiarise themselves with the colllections, choose their object, research in the museum archives, work with their object and film it. The research project involves studying the material construction of the art-work, exploring its style and form and discovering its meanings and significance for the culture in which it was created. The project involves an extended study of provenance: how, why and under what conditions the art-work was removed from its original context and finally came into the collections of the Oriental Museum. In exploring this 'narrative' it will be seen that the art-work has acquired a range of different meanings at different times and in different contexts. This aspect of the module is assessed by the submission of a research proposal/annotated bibliography and an audio-visual Podcast which presents the research to a notional museum audience.
• The module is assessed by a 2000-word essay, accounting for 30% of the module mark. The chosen object aspect of the module is assessed principally by the submission of the Podcast, which accounts for 50% of the module mark. The Proposal/Annotated bibliography accounts for 20% of the module mark.
• The assessments focus on the subject-specific knowledge, the subject-specific skills and the key-skills that the module seeks to develop and which are outlined above.

Feedback and feedforward are offered on student presentations based on their chosen objects, seminar discussion, site visits, research proposal/annotated bibliography.

If you have a question about Durham's modular degree programmes, please visit our FAQ webpages, Help page or our glossary of terms. If you have a question about modular programmes that is not covered by the FAQ, or a query about the on-line Undergraduate Module Handbook, please contact us.

Prospective Students: If you have a query about a specific module or degree programme, please Ask Us.

Current Students: Please contact your department.