Art Histories, Ecologies, Industries Minor

The course offers an introduction to the history of art and visual culture from antiquity to the Renaissance in an intercultural and interdisciplinary context. It studies all forms of art, such as painting, sculpture, architecture, and printed works within their historical, social, and cultural contexts, as well as their representation in modern media (film, documentary, etc.). The course aims at an international and cross-cultural perspective, as well as introducing students to interdisciplinary modes of analyzing art that respond to developments in the fields of art ecologies and art industries.

The course is the sequence to AHT 102 and offers an introduction to the history of art and visual culture from the High Renaissance to the present day.  It studies early modern painting, sculpture, architecture, and prints within their historical, social, and cultural contexts, as well as photography and new media in the modern and contemporary world. It also introduces students to interdisciplinary modes of analyzing art that respond to developments in the fields of art ecologies and art industries.

The course introduces students to the theories and methods in a number of art historical traditions, of art worlds and art ecologies, and their application in art and heritage industries in the past and present. It addresses both traditional and innovative models in art history, emphasizing the variety of perspectives that can inform an understanding of art practices informed by interdisciplinary dialogues. A range of methodologies are introduced and applied to the study of art objects, practices, and environments.  Students will conduct original research projects using a variety of critical approaches to put their theoretical knowledge in practice. 

Anthropologies of Art is taught on campus and in the galleries of Lugano’s museums and exhibition halls, including the Museo delle Culture, Lugano Arte e Cultura, Olgiati Collection, Fondazione Braglia and other venues. It investigates objects and images within human and cultural contexts, approaching both the physical and digital world through the deep structure of the human mind and its manifestations. In museums and exhibitions, we will analyze artifacts from all continents and discuss how they relate to social practices and exchanges in individual cultures. On campus, the course will engage with media anthropology: humans’ interactions with technology, how machines have been used to produce complex works, and what they can tell us about the status of both producer and receiver. Particular emphasis this semester will be placed on how artificial intelligence is shaping creativity and what this means for the development of the deep structure of the human mind. The course addresses all aspects and approaches of the Art Histories, Ecologies, Industries major.