ARTH 391 - Art and Its Changing Contexts: Manifestos
- T - 18:00 - 20:15
- EV-1.605
- INSTRUCTOR: DR. MAYA OPPENHEIMER
To claim that art is political addresses not only the topics of art works but also the standpoint of the artist and their decisions to work with certain materials, spaces of making, networks of circulation (including art criticism, auctions, exhibitions, collections, publications) and particularly histories of art and its practice. Some artists are very careful and considered in making their politics explicit. The written, signed and distributed manifesto is one such way that artists have communicated their politics, ideas and intentions in their work, both individually and collectively, and to use their creative work as a means to affect change, resistance or dissent.
This course pursues a three-part delivery, which structures the complexities and layers of historical, contemporary and emerging manifestos and their contexts: Manifestos in History, Manifestos in Art; Contemporary Platforms of Resistance; Broadcasting the Manifesto in Practice. We begin by looking at key manifestos in history that range from politics to economy, nature to education, which will give us a sound context for the influence of such a document and the radical act of its composition and distribution. We will then look at how art has a particular stake in this activity by surveying key art manifestos in the 20th century. The main work of the course, however, will twin specific manifestos with 20th century socio-cultural contexts from feminisms, decolonisation of the art world, to education and look at how artists leverage their resources and creative abilities to engage their manifestos’ agendas. Each class will weave together discussions of key texts, theoretical topics, performances, sit-ins, archives, protests and publications as well as art works that are integral to a foundational understanding of what an effective manifesto is, how to read them as primary documents in context and why they are important resources in the work of art practice, art history and broader socio-cultural study. Articles, film clips, artworks, interviews, podcasts, plays, short stories and exhibitions are pulled from global, historical and contemporary examples of manifesto-driven resistance and political positions to support your study and ability to ‘read’ manifestos and the politics of their signatories while also building your own standpoint.