World Art through an Anthropological Lens
About this Event
What if art isn't just something to look at, but a tool for survival, rebellion, and power? This course invites you to look past the surface of global artistic traditions and discover how objects shape human societies. We will begin by tracing how early 20th-century Western masters like Picasso and Matisse were fundamentally transformed by African tribal art. From there, we will follow the global flow of creativity across borders, exploring everything from colonial-era visual resistance to the vibrant contemporary art scenes of Southeast Asia and Japan. By grounding our journey in the principles of visual anthropology, you will look at the history of colonialism through a critical lens, uncover the social lives of everyday and sacred objects, and build a toolkit for reading images. You won't just study art history—you will develop an entirely new way of seeing the world.
Dr Barbara Knorpp is a visual anthropologist with a special interest in film history based in London. She teaches at Open City Docs, UCL and Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts.
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
GBP 60.00 to GBP 80.00
