Modern Art & Ideas (Coursera)

Modern Art & Ideas (Coursera)

Welcome to Modern Art & Ideas! This course is designed for anyone interested in learning more about modern and contemporary art. Over the next five weeks, you will look at art through a variety of themes: Places & Spaces, Art & Identity, Transforming Everyday Objects, and Art & Society. Each week kicks off with a video that connects works of art from The Museum of Modern Art’s collection to the theme. You will hear audio interviews with artists, designers, and curators and learn more about selected works in the additional readings and resources.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see Coursera's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

Throughout this course you will discover how artists:
-- represent place and take inspiration from their environment,
-- create works of art to express, explore, and question identity,
-- use everyday objects to challenge assumptions about what constitutes a work of art and how it should be made,
-- and respond to the social, cultural, and political issues of their time through works of art.
Through the discussion forum prompts and peer review assignment, you will also have the opportunity to connect with other learners and explore how these themes resonate with your own life and experience.
Course 1 of 4 in the Modern and Contemporary Art and Design Specialization

Syllabus

WEEK 1
Introduction to Modern Art & Ideas
Be introduced to some of the overall benefits of studying modern and contemporary art through accessible and relevant themes.

WEEK 2
Places & Spaces
Discover some of the many ways that artists represent place and take inspiration from their environment.

WEEK 3
Art & Identity
See how artists create works of art to express, explore, and question identity.

WEEK 4
Transforming Everyday Objects
Discover how artists use everyday objects to challenge assumptions about what constitutes art and how it should be made. Explore a variety of artistic and design choices, and the creative acts of inventing and transforming everyday objects.

WEEK 5
Art & Society
Explore works of art created in response to the social, cultural, and political issues of their time. Gain a deeper understanding of history and contemporary society. Be encouraged to think critically about world events and how they are depicted.
Art & Society: Lesson Choices

Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Videojuegos: ¿de qué hablamos? (Coursera) Coursera
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Videojuegos: ¿de qué hablamos? (Coursera)

Probablemente, todos hemos jugado a algún videojuego, pero ¿qué hay detrás de él? Podemos decir que - con independencia del videojuego - hay un árduo trabajo multidisciplinar que incluye desde aspectos de diseño hasta la programación como tal del videojuego. Este curso pretende ser un curso introductorio que muestre qué aspectos hay que considerar en el videojuego, y que permita con posterioridad abordar individualmente los temas que se consideran nucleares: diseño, arte, motor del videojuego y 'game play'.

Sep 21st 2026
5-12 Weeks
Paradoxes of War (Coursera) Coursera
Princeton University

Paradoxes of War (Coursera)

The Paradoxes of War teaches us to understand that war is not only a normal part of human existence, but is arguably one of the most important factors in making us who we are. Through this course, I hope that you will come to appreciate that war is both a natural expression of common human emotions and interactions and a constitutive part of how we cohere as groups. That is, war is paradoxically an expression of our basest animal nature and the exemplar of our most vaunted and valued civilized virtues.

Sep 21st 2026
13-24 Weeks
Indigenous Canada (Coursera) Coursera
University of Alberta

Indigenous Canada (Coursera)

Indigenous Canada is a 12-lesson Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) that explores Indigenous histories and contemporary issues in Canada. From an Indigenous perspective, this course explores key issues facing Indigenous peoples today from a historical and critical perspective highlighting national and local Indigenous-settler relations.

Sep 21st 2026
5-12 Weeks
Greek and Roman Mythology (Coursera) Coursera
University of Pennsylvania

Greek and Roman Mythology (Coursera)

Myths are traditional stories that have endured over a long time. Some of them have to do with events of great importance, such as the founding of a nation. Others tell the stories of great heroes and heroines and their exploits and courage in the face of adversity. Still others are simple tales about otherwise unremarkable people who get into trouble or do some great deed. What are we to make of all these tales, and why do people seem to like to hear them? This course will focus on the myths of ancient Greece and Rome, as a way of exploring the nature of myth and the function it plays for individuals, societies, and nations. We will also pay some attention to the way the Greeks and Romans themselves understood their own myths.

Sep 21st 2026
5-12 Weeks
Ignite Your Everyday Creativity (Coursera) Coursera
The State University of New York

Ignite Your Everyday Creativity (Coursera)

Creativity is an essential skill for the 21st Century that is innate in all people and can be nurtured. We constantly need new and better ideas for almost every aspect of our professional and personal lives. The goal of this course is to help you recognize, develop and act upon the creativity that you already possess. We will accomplish this using three methods: b aware, b inspired, and b creative.

Sep 21st 2026
5-12 Weeks
Love as a Force for Social Justice (Coursera) Coursera
Stanford University

Love as a Force for Social Justice (Coursera)

This course will explore the concept of agape love (compassion/kindness) as a force for social justice and action and as the inspiration for service and the application of knowledge to positive social change. Biological, psychological, religious, and social perspectives of love will be discussed, drawing on the expertise of people from a variety of disciplines.

Sep 21st 2026
5-12 Weeks
Competencias para la empleabilidad (Coursera) Coursera
Universidad Austral

Competencias para la empleabilidad (Coursera)

Este curso está dirigido a académicos, empresarios y estudiantes de grado, y su objetivo es mejorar el nivel de empleabilidad de los jóvenes graduados en América Latina, ya que a través de él podrán adquirir competencias que hoy día exigen las empresas de este mundo globalizado. Esto se logrará a través de tres módulos: Empleabilidad, Innovación y Emprendimiento, con los que podrán adquirir las competencias requeridas.

Sep 21st 2026
3 Weeks
The History of Modern Israel – Part I: From an Idea to a State (Coursera) Coursera
Tel Aviv University

The History of Modern Israel – Part I: From an Idea to a State (Coursera)

How did the State of Israel come to be? How is it that an idea, introduced in 19th century Europe, became a reality? And how does that reality prevail in the harsh complexities of the Middle East? Presented by Professor Eyal Naveh, with additional units from Professor Asher Sussers' "The Emergence of the Modern Middle East" course, This course will take you on a journey through the history of Modern Israel. In this 1st part of the course we will explore: How did the 19th century idea of a Jewish state become a reality? So the next time you hear about Israel in the news, you will be informed enough about the history of this area to comprehend the many sides and narratives that interact to shape the complex reality of Israel today.

Sep 21st 2026
3 Weeks
Intimacy of Creativity: Entering the Minds of Composers (Coursera) Coursera
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology - HKUST

Intimacy of Creativity: Entering the Minds of Composers (Coursera)

Bright Sheng guides us through three works — by Brahms, Beethoven, and Sheng — for an intimate look inside the composer's mind. This course strives to give students a new appreciation of music, based on an understanding of the craft behind each work. This class is perfect for those wanting to gain a unique perspective on the creative process of music composition, while challenging traditional notions of how composers approach formal structure, melody, and harmony.

Sep 21st 2026
3 Weeks