ARTS 290 Art Outside the Bounds: Wanlass Artists in Residence

Thematic Focus for Fall 2015: "Power Play." This course taught by the 2015/16 Wanlass Artists in Residence CamLab will examine the power dynamics of the way individuals come together in groups. Through making and using relational objects (a term coined in the 1960s by Brazilian artist Lygia Clark) we will experiment with how individuals can maintain their agency when scaling up from relationships with ourselves to large public groups. A relational object is used by participants in service of an experience beyond the immediate materiality of the object this can be a solo collaborative or communal experience. For reference we'll look at the organizational strategies of movements such as 1970s feminist consciousness-raising sessions 21st century horizontalism and free schools. Students should be prepared to develop the following skills: critical thinking and speaking basic hands-on making and compassionate self-reflexivity. All those with an interest in contemporary art psychology social justice activist history transformation and organizing are encouraged to register.