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| Semester | fall semester 2020 |
| Course frequency | Once only |
| Lecturers | Joanna Smalcerz (joanna.smalcerz@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | What do works of art tell us about the particular socio-historical contexts in which they were created? What significance do those objects hold in society? How does this significance change between various systems of meaning in which artworks are consumed? What does the work of art tell us about the people who owned the object? The seminar explores the social context surrounding the making, circulation and use of works of art, focusing on the revealing and dynamic meaning of provenance. Provenance is often approached as a mere chain of ownership of an object, yet when set into a wider context, it can be revealing of functions, meanings, transformations and displacements of works of art. To fully understand material art objects, we must track their social lives and follow the trajectories that shape their meaning. To fully understand societies, we must study the artworks they produce and consume. By using provenance as a point of departure, the class will study the way works of art function in social and cultural life from the moment and conditions of their creation to their reception and various forms of consumption. In a form of a journey through history of art from the late medieval Andachtsbilder to the works of contemporary artists like Maria Eichhorn, who address the interest in provenance of art objects, the course offers a chronological and thematic survey of the main issues defining the complex and fluid status and function of artworks. Through readings and discussions of objects, and source and theoretical texts the class will investigate such questions as, among others, the role of artworks in society, works of art as market commodities, artworks as the objects of curatorial practice, and the role of provenance in perception of works of art. |
| Learning objectives | - Students will be able to identify and describe historical and present functions of art within societies - Students will be able to identify a range of contexts in which provenance of art objects has a particular significance - Students will be able to critically read key art historical, historical and sociological texts and explain and use the terms they introduce |
| Comments | Die Teilnahme an Präsenz-Lehrveranstaltungen im HS 2020 ist nur jenen Studierenden erlaubt, die vorab die Belegung für diese Lehrveranstaltung online (services.unibas.ch) vorgenommen haben und somit auf der Teilnehmerliste der Dozierenden aufgeführt sind. |
| Admission requirements | Für den Besuch der Seminare sollte das Grundstudium abgeschlossen sein. Da die Zahl der Teilnehmer/innen aufgrund der aktuellen COVID-19-Situation auf 30 Studierende beschränkt werden muss, ist ein kurzes Motivationsschreiben erwünscht. Bei mehr als 30 Anmeldungen werden Studierende mit Motivationsschreiben vorrangig behandelt. |
| Course application | Beschränkte Teilnehmer/innenzahl. Anmeldung über Mona notwendig. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | Online, optional |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|
No dates available. Please contact the lecturer.
| Modules |
Modul: Epochenübergreifende Fragestellungen (Bachelor's degree subject: Art History) Modul: Frühe Neuzeit (Bachelor's degree subject: Art History) Modul: Kunsthistorische Projektarbeit (Master's degree program: Art History and Image Theory) Modul: Kunsttheorie und Methodik (Master's degree subject: Art History) Modul: Kunsttheorie und Methodik (Master's degree program: Art History and Image Theory) Modul: Moderne / Gegenwart (Bachelor's degree subject: Art History) Modul: Praxis und Forschung (Master's degree subject: Art History) Modul: Profil: Bildtheorie und Bildgeschichte (Master's degree program: Art History and Image Theory) Modul: Profil: Frühe Neuzeit (Master's degree program: Art History and Image Theory) Modul: Werk und Kontext (Master's degree program: Art History and Image Theory) Modul: Werk und Kontext (Master's degree subject: Art History) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment details | Active participation, presentation in class and a written paper. |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | no repetition |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Fachbereich Kunstgeschichte |