What does IA3, the Project for inquiry phase 3, require to resolve the body of work?
Produce a Project for inquiry phase 3 that resolves a coherent body of work and presents it with a supporting response
A focused answer to the QCE Visual Art Unit 4 dot point on IA3. Explains what the resolved Project requires, how it consolidates the inquiry into a body of work, the role of innovation and the supporting response, and how evidence of the full inquiry is presented for assessment.
Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed
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What this dot point is asking
IA3 is the Project for inquiry phase 3, the resolved body of work and the largest internal assessment. This dot point asks you to understand what the instrument requires: consolidating the whole inquiry, applying Unit 4 innovation, and presenting a coherent body of work with its supporting response. It is the destination the first two instruments were building toward.
The answer
The phase 3 Project is the resolution of the whole inquiry. It pulls together everything from IA1 and IA2, adds the Unit 4 innovation, and presents a finished, coherent body of work that answers the sustained inquiry question.
What IA3 requires
The Project requires a resolved body of work: a coherent set of related artworks developed from the single focus, carried across two concepts, that synthesise existing knowledge (from research) with new knowledge (from your own making). It also requires a supporting response that frames the inquiry for the audience. The instrument is the consolidation of the develop, research, reflect and resolve phases into one communicative whole.
Consolidating the inquiry
By IA3 the inquiry is complete, so the Project consolidates rather than starts. The focus established in IA1 and developed through IA2 reaches its resolution here, now extended across the second concept. Consolidation means the body of work reads as one sustained inquiry, with the earlier phases visible as the foundation the resolution stands on. The work should answer the same question it began with, deepened rather than abandoned.
The role of Unit 4 innovation
Unit 4 is Art as alternate, so IA3 is where you apply new knowledge, skills or processes to reach an alternate, enriched resolution. The innovation is not bolted on; it is synthesised into the inquiry, pushing the focus further than the first concept could. Meaningful innovation deepens the answer to the inquiry question, distinguishing a resolved body of work from a merely finished one.
The supporting response
The Project is presented with a supporting response (such as an artist statement) that frames the inquiry as a whole. It names the focus and inquiry question, identifies key influences, and explains how the body of work resolves the inquiry. The supporting response frames the set; it does not caption each piece. A strong one makes the connection between question and work explicit so the audience reads the body of work as intended.
Coherence and resolution
IA3 is judged heavily on coherence: the conceptual focus, the visual language and the material choices all pointing the same way across the set. Resolution is reached when the body of work communicates its considered response without excuses. A polished but incoherent collection resolves less strongly than a unified set that takes a defensible risk in service of the inquiry.
Presenting evidence
The Project presents the resolved artworks and the supporting response, with the body of work standing as the culmination of evidence built across all three phases. The presentation should let an audience read the inquiry as one argument, from focus through the two concepts to resolution, with the innovation visibly deepening the answer.