Specialization Overview
I started individual courses in 2021, and formally enrolled in the specialization offering that was later created to tie these courses together for its participants. The syllabus for the course describes how the specialization explores the ties between art and society. It also notes how the specialization was:
“…designed by artist and Duke professor Pedro Lasch and co-taught by an exciting cohort of experts in the field. This specialization is for learners of all levels, practicing artists, curators, art professionals, educators, students, and anyone interested in advancing their knowledge of contemporary art in both conventional and non-conventional settings. Covered topics include visual art, public interventions, social theory, sound art, experimental music, pedagogy outside educational contexts, activism, social justice movements, aesthetics, new media, and more.
You will explore topics through a vast array of case studies, artworks, and theories from recent decades. Our fast-paced lectures are thoroughly researched but accessible, making them useful for non-academic learners, as well as formal students from high school to PhD and beyond. Also included are guest presentations from key thinkers and practitioners.
Whether you are an artist wanting to connect with society at large, a curator seeking new ways to frame your practice, or someone who has no background in art but has always wanted to feel closer to it and understand it better, these courses are a fun and reliable way to get there. The cultural sector has become central to so many of the world's most interesting places and thriving economies. Be it for personal or professional reasons, this specialization will prepare you to engage with it on a solid foundation.“
Course Overview
The syllabus for the COLOUR, BODIES, & POWER course describes how: “In this course, you will gain a much more diverse and inclusive understanding of contemporary culture and global art history. Engaging the course's key ideas of colors, bodies and power for their own formal merit and the value of the artworks and artists represented, you will also learn from six experts in the field how key artworks and artistic principles from areas as wide as color theory, performance studies, and cultural theory relate to larger social topics like indigeneity, race, gender, sexuality, and disabilities. Whether you are interested in art and culture for personal or professional reasons, this course will allow you to connect important parts of your life and practice to some of the most current and relevant aspects of contemporary art and social theory. As one of four in a series, 'Colors, Bodies, Power' complements and enriches the materials covered in the other ART of the MOOC courses.”
