Drawing on mainly modern and contemporary art and curatorial practices, as well as films and textual sources, this seminar looks at the varied ways in which art and artifacts have been collected and displayed. The first part of the course, ‘Museums and Museums without Walls,’ is an introductory, chronological account of the rise and development of the museum in its different manifestations. Part Two, ‘Culture Industries’ focuses on rituals of collecting and on some of the ways in which these have been theorized. We also look at the various ways in which, in today’s visually-orientated world, art (and culture more broadly) is administered and packaged, bought and sold. Part Three, ‘Alternate Currents’, considers a range of counter-cultural and grassroots involvements with the display and dissemination of art. In this seminar, and as far as is practicable, we will identify and explore a small number of relevant artworld spaces, projects and practices in and around Ann Arbor. Teaching is by way of short lectures, case-study work and discussion. Throughout the course, and as a way of engaging actively with the materials and ideas being explored, we will also work in a practical way with various approaches to collecting and archiving. Assessment takes the form of a mid-term test, an individual or group seminar presentation, and an end of semester research project/essay based on a collection or images, objects and/or ideas of particular interest to you. This could take the form of a small catalogue or publication. A course reader will be available in electronic form via Mirlyn/C-tools. Image: Carsten Höller, Test Site, 2006, Tate Modern, London. Estimated cost of materials: $50 or less. IV. 4