About Visual Cultures

Visual Cultures specialises in contemporary art history and theory, curating, and research architecture.

Who We Are

Our study pathways include but are not limited to Art and Philosophy, Space and Place, Sound and Image, Embodiment, and the Curatorial. 

We are a relatively small but vibrant and research-active department in the School of Culture and Society at Goldsmiths, and one that prides itself on its interdisciplinary and innovative approach to learning and teaching. 

We include the Centre for Research Architecture and are home to the large international research project and agency Forensic Architecture, as well as being a local platform for the European Forum of Advanced Practices. 

We see ourselves very much as a community - of students, teachers and researchers - and also commit to reaching out beyond the academy with various public-facing events (as in our weekly ‘Public Programme’ of talks) and other projects.

We Are Connected

As well as being world recognised researchers, many staff in Visual Cultures are also practising artists and curators with many links in the industry. These are often used to our students’ advantage, especially in our undergraduate placement module. 

Our collective interests and involvements in the practice-theory interface have been embedded into our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.

Our approach to learning enables students to develop research projects, presentations, and installations in a highly collaborative, experimental, and outward-facing manner, gaining as much from each other as they do from the teaching staff.

We Are Diverse

In Visual Cultures, we strive for diversity and are committed to decolonising the curriculum.

Teaching on all of our programmes focuses on the histories and theories of modern and contemporary artistic, visual, and spatial practices from around the world.

Crucial too are explorations of how visual cultures engage with urgent social, cultural, and political issues in the world today.