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Study the art of the present

In selecting the specialisation Contemporary Art History, you devote your attention to what is at stake now – to artworks that take on the challenges of the globalised information society, and of living in the Anthropocene.

You do so from a firm basis in an established discipline that has much to offer but also continuously adapts in keeping up with the art of the present.

Contemporary Art History is one of the tracks of the master's programme in Arts & Culture. Find more information about the other tracks here.

Five reasons to choose Contemporary Art History at VU Amsterdam

  1. Focus on visual, process-based, and digital art from the 1960s until today.
  2. You will follow a class on art criticism to further develop your skills in writing and in critically assessing contemporary art.
  3. You will delve into the depth of digital and process-based art while following a class specifically dedicated to new media art.
  4. You will go on a field trip, to prove and further develop your analytical skills onsite.
  5. The Netherlands, and Amsterdam especially, is pioneering in contemporary art.
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Thursday 26 November 2026

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Discover your programme Arts & Culture: Contemporary Art History

This specialisation is unique in the Netherlands in allowing students to focus on the fascinating field of contemporary art – from installation art to artistic research, from photography to digital art, performance art, or artistic activism.

The Netherlands, and Amsterdam especially, is pioneering in contemporary art. Next to museums and exhibitions, you can profit from archives and digital collections, and attend festivals to experience site-specific, performative, and time-based projects first-hand.

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 Woman sits on the floor in front of a work of art in a museum and makes notes in her sketch book.

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