Spanish 240AR - Visual Cultures, An Introduction: 'Occupying the Arts: Activism, Crisis and Arts in Latin America'

In this course we will situate contemporary Latin American arts in a historical and political context -- a moment of rupture that is informed by ongoing histories of racism, colonialism, sexism, authoritarianism, state terrorism, coloniality of power and debt. We will look at non-canonical artists and movements between the sixties and now. What is artistic activism? What is social art? What is the role of creative industries in contexts of political oppression? What happens when art does not simply "talk about politics," but engages in a dialectical practice-moving between action and aesthetics? We will look at visual arts, performance and literature, and paying attention to the consumers.

Prereq: SPAN-212.