Meets With RCHUMS 334-006

Image credit: Akram Zaatari, Saida June 6, 1982, composite digital image, Lambda print, 2009.

How do artists respond to the socio-political events of their past/present/potential future? How does conflict shape the kind of work artists are able to make? How does art thrive under systems of oppression or in times of war? This course examines how art and artists have documented and responded to conflict and its aftermath in the Middle East in the modern and contemporary eras. We will investigate artists and works (both from the Middle East and the cultures who have interacted with the region in conflict) including artist responses to the post-Ottoman era and colonialism in the Middle East, theNakbaand establishment of the state of Israel, civil wars in Lebanon and Syria, the Iran-Iraq War, both Gulf Wars, the Arab Spring, and responses to domestic/local conflicts within the region. Students will develop skills in visual analysis, critical thinking, and academic writing. These skills will be demonstrated through in-class work, reading responses, an in-class presentation, and a final research paper on an artist, work, or conflict/socio-political event of the student's choice. No prior knowledge of the Middle East or its history or of art history required.This course will meet entirely remotely. We will meet biweekly for synchronous discussion on Zoom. These meetings are required, though there will be ways to make up missing the occasional class, understanding the unpredictability of our current moment. However this can not be used as a replacement for synchronous participation. You will be required to complete some work asynchronously prior to these meetings. All assignments will be completed asynchronously and submitted through Canvas.

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