Globalization and the advancement of technology have made the world smaller. Boundaries that define nations and nationalities have blurred and the resulting sense of displacement has undermined assumptions of identity and conversely made the search for identity more urgent. This thesis investigates the dialogue between the contemporary arts and architecture through the lens of the Filipino culture as a way to recapture and bring to the surface the contemporary identity of Filipinos and the Philippines. It proposes an understanding of history, geography and culture as a complex floating archipelago out of which our identity as individuals and nations emerge. It suggests that the events of history and the characteristics of geography are the grounds out of which art, myths and legends continue to be formed and sustain their relevance. Today, these compelling narratives emerge through the works of contemporary artists. They help us view and understand our flaws, struggles, triumphs, and future as a society in a way that speaks of our culture and time. Architecture, as a container and stage for culture must be sensitive to this artistic contemporaneity if it is to be indexical to our time. The Philippines, as a culture of hybrid and regional identities, has long struggled to make sense of the Contemporary in a largely Traditional society. The thesis proposes a new Centre for Contemporary Arts in Manila to bring the diverse artistic activities of the country into focus. It intervenes at interface between the Traditional and the Contemporary, which bridges the gap between the two, thus heralding a Cultural Renaissance and help generate a sense of contemporary nationalism.

Pottery is a kind of craft which requires retentive training. The only way to achieve each technique is to practice in repetition till the skill has been absorbed into the hands and body of the practitioner. The most obvious problematic achievement in pottery skill is ‘wheel throwing’ technique. With the long history in straight forward training, one needs to free the mind and allow oneself be a ‘copy machine’ in order to learn the technique properly. The paradox of traditional practice of having mastered the skill, but could not break through, is one of typical obstruction to many crafters. ‘Flood’ as theme for investigation in clay was an attempt to set up a method in order to find the ‘breaking through’ in term of ‘thinking’ and ‘making’ for traditional pottery practitioner to be relevant in the pace of contemporary surrounding. The investigation was planned to de‐familiarize my perception over my tradition and practice, and it was an eye‐opening to how I positioned myself personally and professionally to the discipline, the society and the world.

This study departs from the observation that since the late 1980´s educational programmes for curators have been established and since then expanded greatly. The programmes are part of a process of institutionalization and professionalization of the role of the curator within the international contemporary art field where the role as such has gained much power. Even though many statements have been made about this relatively new phenomenon of curatorial studies, there is a lack of sufficient research. The intention of this study is therefore to examine the educational programmes as such. The selection of 15 programmes has been made with the purpose to include early as well as newly established and to cover a wide geographic area. The starting point has been to ask what kind of knowledge and role of the curator the programmes are given prominence to. Using Michel Foucault´s and Norman Fairclough´s theory and methods on discourses I examine the programmes as a discursive practice. The analysis shows that there is a strong coherence within the field of the programmes and certain ideals, conventions and procedures are shared among them. The programmes are highly dependent on the professional field of curators – individuals as well as institutions are frequently being invited to lecture and support the students. The application procedures make sure that students who are willing to adopt to given ideals and norms, are being accepted. Furthermore the ideal role of the curator has been defined with the following concepts – new institutionalism, an expanded working field and discursive curating. The curator is highlighted as creative, critical and independent. These concepts have been singled out and made explicitly unique for the role of the curator by the programmes although aspects have clearly been taken from the role of the artist and the critics. The result has been a stronger competition between these positions. The programmes are institutions that promote the curator as an important and irreplaceable agent and to claim even a stronger position new assets have been singled out in the form of a theoretical and academic capital.         Educational programmes included in the study: École du Magasin, Grenoble, Whitney Independent Study Program, New York, Curating Contemporary Art, Art Royal College of Art, London, De Appel Curatorial Programme, Amsterdam, Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, MFA Curating, Goldsmiths, London, CuratorLab - Curatorial Program for Professionals in Arts, Crafts and Design, Konstfack, Stockholm, Curating Art - International Master Programme in Curating Art, including Management and Law, Stockholm university, Curatorial practice, California College of the Arts, San Francisco, Post-graduate Programme in Curating, Zürich University of the Arts, PhD-programme Curatorial/Knowledge, Goldsmiths, London, Cultures of the Curatorial, Academy of Visual Arts Leipzig, CuMMA - Curating, Managing and Mediating Art, Aalto University, Helsinki, PhD-programme Curating, Zürich University of the Arts in collaboration with the university of Reading, Praxis Master’s Programme, Finnish Art Academy, Helsinki.

This dissertation is a collection of four long short stories about contemporary Americans written in the mode of psychological realism. “Bare Knuckles” depicts the struggles of a young man trying to “make it” in the world of illegal boxing. “ZOSO” focuses on the breakdown of an upper-middleclass family forced to move from the rustbelt to the “New South.” In “Dusted,” a man ill-equipped to navigate through the adult world turns to substance abuse and violence as a “way out.” “Sugar Skulls” explores the fascination with death in the punk rock world.

University of Macau / Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities / Department of Sociology

University of Macau / Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities / Department of Sociology

University of Macau / Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities / Department of Sociology

University of Macau / Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities / Department of Sociology

University of Macau / Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities / Department of Sociology

University of Macau / Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities / Department of Sociology