This course provides an introduction to issues, practices and critiques of contemporary art since the 1960s. It is organized thematically rather than chronologically, focusing on specifically chosen artworks, projects or exhibitions each week. Moving across a wide range of media, techniques and display formats, this course considers different curatorial, theoretical and interpretative stances in the production, display and distribution of contemporary art within the increasingly globalized art world; it considers how works of art might reflect on our present living situation beyond the art field and relate to wider communities within and across regional and national boundaries.