This course introduces students to global modern and contemporary artistic practices and their critical vocabulary from a transcultural, horizontal perspective.  Framed by the histories, theories, and discourses of modernity and globalization, the course examines the main practices, concepts, themes and debates that structure the study of global contemporaneity. These include, but are not limited to, the problem of defining contemporary art and its institutions in relation to neoliberal global capitalism, the re-alignment of geopolitics and art historical production vis-à-vis diverse protagonists and axes of power, the struggle for decolonization in the postcolonial condition, the significance of territories and borders as sites for the production of knowledge, the importance of technologies for the processes of subjectivization, the struggle to define a shared ‘we’ in relation to fragmented categories of socialization, and the crisis around the survival of humanity in relation to climate change and other threats to our environment.

While this class is organized as an introductory survey and broadly follows the (Western) historical periodization of modern and contemporary artistic practices from circa 1955 to the present, it also questions the primacy of certain forms as representative of the Universal and challenges the normative art historical narrativization that traces the “progressive” development of style. Thus, using specific case studies, we will examine the emergence of artistic practices in relation to their historical, socio-political, and ideological contexts and analyze the relation between aesthetic forms and forms of life.  In addition, following a genealogical approach, we will move historically between modernity and contemporaneity and consider the continuity and ruptures through which certain aesthetic and bio/necro political paradigms have materialized and become dominant while others have remained in minoritarian positions.

As the approach is genealogical, we will not seek some true, unchanging meaning of “the global contemporary” but, rather, examine diverse, even opposing, ideological uses of the concept and ongoing contests over its meanings. This course does not claim to an exhaustive catalogue of every important artistic activity under this rubric, but will examine specific artists, collectives, and exhibitions as case studies.

Examination will consist of short answer questions that will refer to class lectures and readings.

This course is taught in English.

ZOOM WEBINAR LINK, ID AND PASSWORD TILL END OF SEMESTER:

https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_7KMZNlFcTAuZhlIp5S3Bmg Meeting ID: 628 874 314 Password: 878656 SIP: 628874314@zoomcrc.com Password: 878656

Drop in "Clinic" with Noit Banai:

TUESDAY, JUNE 2, 6:30PM – 7:30PM (18:30H – 19:30H)

You are invited to a Zoom meeting.
When: Jun 2, 2020 06:30 PM Vienna

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJclcuyvrjouGdQ3lF-V2cA5MOHR4qYw9Trl

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Tutorium:

question and answer-platform: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DYzlRmwrRwW_cXaWoTCaUBaR_daM_CSl4VFRkMCU3EU/edit?usp=sharing

You can ask anything that is linked to this course (logistics, content, exam…) and the answers will be posted directly in the document.

for other questions you can also contact mohr.franziska97@gmail.com

17.6.2020 exam preparation (zoom), 6 pm (18.00 Uhr)

the link for the meeting will be sent to you an hour before.