Narratives of modernity in the context of East Asia frequently turn on the heuristic of the condition, or the predicament. Yet the practice of visual art from the mid-19th century to the present tells a different story, one in which modernity emerges as a network of interrelated encounters rather than a particular state of being. This course attempts to explore what this network might entail and the implications of its constituent relationships. Although the course will follow a rough linear trajectory, its structure will concern multiple themes that include, but are not limited to, ideological trends, mass trauma, forms of technology (new and old), changing systems of depiction, and the internationalism/nationalism binary. Works made by artists from all countries in the East Asian region (China, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan) will be considered in connection to each other and to counterparts from other areas of the world. All readings are in English.

Estimated cost of materials: less than $50.

C. 4.