Art and migration in France: picturing displacement and the displaced

Catalog description

Since the turn of the 20th century, Paris has attracted both artists and migrants in large numbers, thanks to France's reputation as a haven for those seeking refuge from persecution and conflict, and its capital's longtime status as a global artistic center. This course will focus on the confluence of these two communities by exploring the art of migration from the 20th century to today - including painting, sculpture, drawing, street art, photography and video--with a focus on works representing France, or produced in France or by French artists.Beyond aesthetic considerations, many of the artists who formed part of the successive generations of the legendary 20th century "School of Paris", and continue to enrich the Parisian art scene today, have also come fleeing various forms of persecution or turmoil in their home countries, from war to anti-Semitism to fascism to colonialism to terrorism. The ways that these "cultural migrants" have represented their journey and negotiated their multi-layered identities in their work, both then and now, will be explored. Current day migration in a post-colonial context will also be studied, as a means to discover the various strategies used by contemporary artists to humanize and give visibility to the struggle of the displaced, while addressing societal concerns fueling displacement today, including racial, social, religious and gender inequality, conflict, and climate change.Instructional format will include in-class lectures, discussions with contemporary artists, and above all, site visits to Parisian museums, neighborhoods and relevant socio-cultural institutions. Students will be evaluated through in-class participation and attendance, an in-class presentation on an assigned artwork, and a research paper on a topic relevant to the course scope.