Meets Together with HISTART 689-004

Stereotypes about the Islamic world that proliferate outside of it frequently center on issues of gender and sexuality. Fixations on the hijab and broad portrayals of the Islamic world as a site of extreme persecution of those who engage in non-normative gender expression or sexual practices are common. While some countries do have draconian laws on the books regarding gender inequalities and sexual diversity, these tend to be seen as representative of the entire Islamic world. Critics of the Islamic world (and Islam more generally) frequently overlook the cultural context and colonial histories out of which these laws came to be, and the fact that sexuality of any kind (normative or otherwise) is not typically seen as a culturally acceptable topic of conversation. Also ignored are the grassroots organizations, community organizers, activists, and artists that are actively working to challenge both domestic discrimination and foreign bigotry. This course will examine contemporary art alongside the historical, cultural, and political roots of the current (varied) condition(s) of gender and sexuality in the Islamic world. We will look at artists from the Islamic world and its diaspora who are addressing issues of gender and sexuality—articulating domestic concerns, challenging foreign conceptions, and exposing the particularities of their intersectional experiences, among others.

HISTART Distributions Requirements: A. The Middle East, 4. Modern and Contemporary

Poster image: "Sans Titre IX" - Divine comedy series, 2010. Photography, inkjet print on fine art paper, mouned on aluminum, 22x32 cm, edition of 5