Course Description
Objects and practices that we identify as art today arise from their specific historical, political and cultural conditions. This course attempts to unpack this context in terms of meaning and purpose of artistic practices, both intended at the time and subsequently established. While the chronological skeleton of the course ranges from the Enlightenment to the Contemporary, the structure lends itself to overlaps and connections beyond this framing. Students are expected to cultivate and apply visual literacy and critical analysis to the considered contexts, thus establishing a conversation with multiple pasts.