This course introduces students to global contemporary artistic practices and their critical vocabulary from a transcultural, horizontal perspective. Framed by the histories, theories, and discourses of contemporary art, the course examines the main practices, concepts, themes and debates that structure the study of global contemporaneity. We will start with examining the geopolitical and historiographical criteria that are used to classify artworks as "contemporary”, including the theoretical debate surrounding the term.

We will focus on the discussion of individual artworks or artistic projects, dealing with topics such as, among others: materiality, intermediality and conceptuality, skill and de-skilling, mediality and technology, individuality and collectivity, decolonization, transculturality and globalization, as well as ecological, ethical and political  claims brought to art.

While this class is organized as an introductory survey and broadly follows the (Western) historical periodization of modern and contemporary artistic practices from circa 1945 to the present, it also questions the primacy of certain forms as universally representative and challenges the art historical narrativization pursuing "progressive” developments of art. 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, we will consider continuities and ruptures through which certain aesthetic and bio/necro political paradigms have materialized and become dominant while others have remained in minoritarian positions.

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.

Written exam, to be completed optionally in English and German.

Three exam dates are offered: at the end of June, in October and November 2022 (please see exact dates below). After that, no more exam dates will be offered, as the lecture changes each year.

No registration is necessary for the exam.

This course is taught in English. All Zyklus-lectures are held alternately in German and English, with the German lecture "Globale Gegenwartskunst/Zyklus IV" following in spring 2023 (see https://www.angewandtekunstgeschichte.net/news/2019/umstellung-der-zyklus-vorlesungen).

Regular attendance is advised. 

This lecture is held in the Auditorium, VZA 7. Please be prepared for a switch to online zoom meetings any time, if restrictions are increased.

The lecture will be accompanied by a tutorial course led by Paula Netzl (paula.netzl@uni-ak.ac.at), offering support for any issues or question you might have regarding the lecture or on how to prepare for the exam. Paula will organize additional meetings to discuss specific topics, artworks and/or texts.

All important literature has been made accessible in the library in a special "Handapparat" (reference collection) or online on OwnCloud. There you can also find a list of recommended literature on various subjects covered in the course.

The image scripts shown in the lecture will be uploaded weekly in the OwnCloud folder together with useful texts for each chapter. As you register for the lecture in Base Angewandte, access to the OwnCloud folder will be activated automatically.

All images can be viewed with additional information and downloaded on the image database IMAGE (access within Base Angewandte, see tab above).