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AH40590

Academic Year 2026/2027

Disruption and Disobedience (AH40590)

Subject:
Art History
College:
Arts & Humanities
School:
Art History & Cultural Policy
Level:
4 (Masters)
Credits:
10
Module Coordinator:
Dr Aleksandra Gajowy
Trimester:
Autumn
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This module will look at how artists and their practices have served as means of political resistance across the twentieth and twenty first centuries. We will look especially at how artistic resistance can unfold in institutions such as museums and art galleries, as well as in the public sphere. Tracing the ways in which artists have sought to undermine and challenge the status quo, we will examine manifold dimensions of art protest from demonstrations and refusal to produce, to destruction of artworks; from peaceful protest to bodily harm.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

At the end of this module, students should be able to demonstrate the following:

- A good knowledge and understanding of visual cultures of protest and activism from a variety of political, geographical, and historical contexts
- A familiarity with and understanding of a range of set texts and critical and theoretical sources relevant to the course
- An ability to perform detailed visual analysis and relate it to a relevant political/social/historical context
- An ability to approach the discipline of art history from a critical perspective

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Specified Learning Activities

95
Autonomous Student Learning

95
Seminar (or Webinar)

36
Total

226

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
This module will involve three contact hours per week. It is planned for maximum student participation and many activities will be student-led, so you are expected to always read the required texts and come prepared to get as much as possible out of this module.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade Component repeat (in-module) Offered
Group Work Assignment: Group presentations Week 12 Graded No
40
 No
Participation in Learning Activities: In-class participation Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11, Week 12 Graded No
10
 Yes
Reflective Assignment: Short reflective piece based on class activity Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11 Graded Yes
50
 Yes

As part of UCD's student support, under the Additional Consideration policy, extensions may be available for the following assessments in the module: Assignment (including essay/poster), Portfolio, Reflective Assignment, Report(s), and Individual Project.


Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Spring No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Not yet recorded.

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Autumn Seminar Offering 1 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Tues 14:00 - 16:50
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