ART/ARH 364 Contemporary Art: Visual Representations of the Mediterranean

This course surveys contemporary art practices along the Mediterranean with a focus on cross-cultural exchange between Europe, North Africa, and the Levant. Through an array of post-war artworks, films, and texts, this course will address the role representation plays in forming our knowledge of place. Students will engage in post-colonial theory, critical-race studies, and signifying practices as a way to develop a deeper understanding of the Mediterranean basin and the complex social, historical, and political issues at play in the region. Studio visits, exhibitions, and artist talks will be an important element to this course in order to introduce students to the contemporary art community of Aix-en-Provence, Marseille, and its surroundings.