AHT 208T Art now!
This course offers an introduction to the history of contemporary art from 1960 to the present, paying particular attention to artistic developments in increasingly global and interconnected cultures at the turn of the 21st century. Our topics include the diversification of practices, the dematerialization of art, institutional critique and feminist critique, environmental and relational aesthetics, and new media arts in the 21st century. The course looks at the frame of production and reception of artworks, from the studio to the museum and gallery, from the artists to the art critic and the public. A particular attention will be put on the writings of artists and critics, as well as the mediation of artistic practices. In this vein, students are encouraged to develop documentary and critical discourses in the form of audio and video formats, in dialogue with the travel component of the course, which brings students in direct contact with artworks, artists, and curators in Germany. Visits to contemporary Art museums, studios and galleries are scheduled as part of the travel component of this course.