ARTH 368 Studies in Contemporary Art and Architecture: Brazilian Art

• Tuesdays, 5:45 - 8:15 pm
• Instructor: Rodrigo D'Alcântara

This course provides an overview of Brazilian art, rescuing concealed histories from the country’s colonial past, and centralizing Afro-diasporic, Indigenous, and queer perspectives, all the way to the present. Throughout the semester the course examines the many implications between colonialism, modernity, and globalization to reflect on local Brazilian artistic production. In this direction, the course proposes to expand students’ understanding and knowledge of the construction of nation-specific identities through post-colonial movements in Brazil such as Modernismos and Tropicália. The importance of Brazilian contemporary art in re-visioning the stereotypes perpetuated by Western Art History is articulated alongside critical analyses of early modern European imagery. Furthermore, a plethora of counter-hegemonic contemporary theorists focusing on racial and gender studies will help shed light on this specific historiography fueled by transculturalism, syncretism, and mestizaje.