Art Now: Contemporary Trends in Europe

Course Description:

This study in contemporary art practice focuses on today’s artistic trends in Europe and the United Kingdom.  Students will study how relational art, as highlighted by French critic Nicholas Bourriaud, has dominated critical conversation in elite artistic circles across the continent for the past fifteen years.  In addition to relational and conceptual art, tendencies in painting such as the New Leipzig School in Germany and abstract reflexive painting in Britain will be examined. Considerable focus is also put on looking at relationships between theory and practice and how these two entities coincide or differ with developments in major European art world events like Documenta, Skulptur Projekte Münster, the Venice Biennale, Frieze art fair, and Art Basel. On-site visits to museums and galleries will further help students answer questions about the art they see and, ultimately, give them a clear picture of European art now.