GER5671W

This course examines the relationship between art and modernity by surveying the development of modern art in Germany and Central Europe from the nineteenth century to the present day. Over the course of the semester, we will consider artworks created in a variety of media while examining how artists engaged with a number of modernity’s key issues—from the rise of the self as a locus of expression, to the political ambitions of the interwar avant-garde and the threat of fascism, to the impact of new media technologies, consumer culture, and an increasingly globalized reality on artistic practice. Students will develop skills in close-looking, visual analysis, and historical interpretation through close-looking exercises carried out in class and through written assignments. Class lectures will occasionally be supplemented by field trips to museums such as the Weisman Art Museum, Minneapolis Institute of Art, and Walker Art Center, where students will have the opportunity to discuss and analyze original works of art in person. Class discussions, readings, and assignments will all be in English, with additional German-language texts available for interested students.

Please note that this course does not permit the use of generative algorithms for any reason (this includes ChatGPT, Co-Pilot, Gemini, and any other so-called AI application, including those used to summarize readings). Students will therefore be graded primarily on oral participation and hand-written exams and assignments.

03343

Arts/Humanities

Periodic Fall & Spring