Humanities Arts Cultural Stu 0261 - Commemorating Violence: Monuments, Museum Practice, Public Art

In this course we will explore contemporary approaches to commemorating incidents and aftermaths of collective historical violence through monuments, museum practice, and public art. Students will examine case studies from around the world, with a focus on sites of contestation and interventions in public and collective discourse from the last 50 years, including Holocaust memorials and museums; monuments to los Desaparecidos (the disappeared) in Chile and Argentina and victims of genocides in Cambodia and Rwanda; #RhodesMustFall and other international "fallist" movements to remove statues celebrating slavery, apartheid, and white supremacy; the visual culture of #BLM; new monuments commemorating the legacies of the transatlantic slave trade in the US, the Caribbean, and West Africa. We will read deeply in the relevant critical and theoretical literature across disciplines and look closely at decisions made by practitioners: artists, architects, curators, urban planners, and activists. Students of all backgrounds and experience levels are welcome. Keywords:Art history, museum studies, heritage, curatorial studies, contemporary art The content of this course deals with issues of race and power.

Time and Narrative Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and preparation outside of class time