What Is Contemporary Art?

This Specialization will introduce you to the art of our time. Through original films and audio, you will go behind the scenes to look closely at artworks and into studios to hear directly from artists, designers, curators and others. This Specialization is for anyone who would like to learn more about modern and contemporary art. No prior knowledge is required. Enroll to receive invitations to virtual events, gain exclusive access to MoMA resources, and share ideas with an international learner community.

Start with Modern Art & Ideas to learn how artists have taken inspiration from their environment and responded to social issues over the past 150 years. Next, take a deep dive into Seeing Through Photographs, exploring photography from its origins in the mid-1800s through the present. This course addresses the gap between seeing and truly understanding photographs by introducing ideas, approaches and technologies that inform their making. Explore artworks made since 1980 in What Is Contemporary Art? Ranging from 3-D–printed glass and fiber sculptures to performances in a factory, the works in this course introduce you to the diverse materials, motivations and methods of artists working today. Complete the Specialization with Fashion as Design, and investigate the choices you make about fashion in relation to expression, sustainability, labor practices, identity and more. Learn from makers working with clothing every day—and, in some cases, reinventing it for the future.