Issues in Arts Politics

SAMPLE SYLLABUS Issues in Arts Politics The Department of Art & Public Policy Johanna F. Almiron It is Our Duty to Win: Poetics of Protest and Social Transformation It is our duty to fight for our freedom. It is our duty to win. We must love each other and support each other. We have nothing to lose but our chains. “To My People” by Assata Shakur (4 July 1973) Course Description What are the poetics of revolution? How does rebellion express itself differently in the streets, on the screen and within civic institutions? And what is the emergent role of artists in the-times-they-are-a-changing? Applying social movement theory, this inter-disciplinary course examines the intersection of art and politics through the visual and performative strategies at work in social protest in public and private spheres. Organized thematically across transnational and temporal boundaries, protest art becomes the guide through this anti-history of the contemporary world. By reviewing transnational history through progressive social movements, cultural crisis and creative production, the course unsettles the over-determined history written by the victors of war. The transgression against linear conceptions of history generates more radicalized conceptions of historical agency. In other words, by de-centering an otherwise Eurocentric hegemonic trajectory, overlooked actors of an internationalist history such as people representing the underdog are brought to the fore-namely the poor and working class, people of color, women, queer folk and people with disability. Marginalized histories of political resistance that have been writ out of mainstream narratives are reenacted into existence through our analysis. These histories include multiracial and class-based coalitions and grassroots victories against state and structural violence. We examine small to large direct action protest tactics and how community based organizations articulate its social vision and ideology through the performance of protest. We study the embodiment of social movement knowledges through the visual construction and representation of critical mass identities and iconoclast martyrs. In addition to studying how moments of protest impact art production, we will also examine how they have been represented through art, literature, visual culture, media (film and television) and performance (music, theatre). We will engage and experiment with the new forms of protest and knowledge production in digital humanities and consider how the DIY approach to organic intellectualism and social organization manifest through new media and tomorrow's new day. NB: As a seminar, students should be prepared to participate in depth discussion on a weekly basis by completing the reading and viewing assignments. Since the subject matter of art is intrinsically visual and since Art Politics studies is an inter-disciplinary field, there is a strong multi-media element in the course. Students will be expected to view films regularly both online and in-class. Students are also strongly encouraged to attend outside exhibitions and performances for extra credit. FALL 2016 1 Course Requirements Attendance Participation (Weekly Discussion & Presentation) Short Essay Exam (Unit I) Mid-term Performance Review (Unit II) Final Project (Unit III) 15% 25% 15% 20% 25% Attendance (15%) Attendance Policy Regular and prompt attendance is mandatory. You will be allowed one unexcused absence without grade penalty that you are encouraged to save for emergencies. Three late arrivals is equivalent to one unexcused absence. Excused absences for illness, injuries, authorized University events and other legitimate reasons such as funerals require documentation. As per university regulations, there is no penalty for religious observances; however, as specified by university policy, students must notify the instructor within two weeks of class of the specific days or dates on which he or she requests relief. In Class Media Policy Please respect the classroom setting as a site to engage your intellectual community, your peers. Your active attendance is vital to the group experience as well as to your individual success in the course. There is absolutely no text messaging or Internet browsing permitted in the classroom space for the duration of the course. If a student violates this policy, he or she will be asked to leave and the student will be marked as absent. Communication Please check the course website several times a week for any announcements and/or alterations to the curriculum. Students are expected to respond promptly (within 24-48 hours on weekdays) to any direct communication from the instructor. Please consider the timeliness of one’s reply as part of the attendance grade, so repeated failure to respond will result in a lowered attendance grade. The best way to communicate with the instructor is via email (almiron@wisc.edu) and students can also expect a 24-48 hours response on weekdays. Late Assignment Policy It is upon the discretion of the instructor to accept late assignments with strong penalty or to outright reject late assignments. FALL 2016 2 Hip-hop and American Culture Participation: Weekly Discussion (25%) Class Discussion Leader-Discussion Outline and Passage Analysis (3-5 pages) As a way to process the curriculum concepts, we will engage in a weekly discussion based upon prompts provided by the instructor and class discussion leader. Each student is responsible for presenting on a class topic and facilitating class discussion at least twice during the semester. Each student must draft and submit a discussion outline to the instructor at the beginning of the class presentation with the following components: one or two paragraphs summarizing the main points (thesis) of the reading and at minimum three key discussion questions with written responses (approximately 75-100 words). Also, each student should choose a reading passage to analyze critically during the discussion. Sign-up will be at the beginning of the semester providing ample time to prepare. Failure to present on the assigned date will adversely affect your final grade. Discussion Guidelines This course will present ideas that hopefully challenge you and your peers to examine what you have already known. If it were not for controversy or difference, learning would be myopic and uninteresting. Although many of us hold distinct points of view, the classroom must remain a safe space that everyone feels comfortable expressing his or her own opinions and ideas. In order to maintain a productive forum, it is absolutely vital that we interact with tolerance, honesty, respect and consideration. While students are certainly welcome, if not encouraged, to debate, please be sensitive and mindful that we are all here to learn from one other and refrain from personal attacks. To ensure maximum communication and minimum discomfort, please apply the following rules to discussions: Ask questions in order to understand an opposing view rather than make judgments, do not use profanity (unless in a quote), in your online communications do not use abbreviations or other e-mail short-hand (text-speak), and do practice courtesy in all exchanges. Violations can result in your being excluded from the discussions and receiving a zero for this portion of your grade. Unit I: Short Essay Exam (15%) The exam will be formatted as an open-book take-home exam, and students will have 24 hours to submit it once they receive it. It will be comprised of short-essay questions based on the readings and viewings of Unit I. Unit II: Art and Performance Analysis (20%) Drawing upon the readings and topics of Unit II, students are asked to analyze critically the Smart Women performance. Use detailed descriptions of at least one piece, sequence or aspect to underscore your point of view. You may also include first person narrative that details your experiential relationship or personal response to the performance. Describe aesthetic qualities of the art production as well as the social, cultural and political significance. (5 pages double-spaced ~1,500 words). Unit III: Final Project (25%) The most profound learning usually happens among peers challenging themselves and one another. To this end, students will work in small groups to create a dynamic multimedia presentation on a research topic and subject of their choosing. Details to follow. FALL 2016 3 Academic Integrity In your writing process, you are welcome to draw on alternative resources and consult with your classmates. However, all submitted work must be original. Any ideas of others must be fully and properly cited in all of your papers. Academic dishonesty is punishable by grade reduction, course failure, and in serious cases, expulsion. Students are responsible for knowing the definition and university policies concerning plagiarism. If you have questions please refer to the NYU Academic Integrity website: http://cas.nyu.edu/page/academicintegrity If you are unsure about the proper ways to give credit to sources consult the Writing Center at 411 Lafayette, 998-8866/Any student caught plagiarizing will receive a zero for the assignment and will be reported for academic misconduct. Students with Disabilities If you feel you need reasonable accommodations because of the impact of a disability, please (1) contact the Henry & Lucy Moses Center for Students with Disabilities at 726 Broadway, 998-4980 (2) speak with me privately to discuss your specific needs. I will be happy to work with you and the Moses Center to meet your access needs related to your documented disability. Special Events-Extra Credit Opportunity Students are strongly encouraged to seek learning experiences beyond the confines of the classroom space. To receive extra credit, students can write a response essay drawing connections to the class topics (1-2 pages, ~500 words) and submit it to the professor within a month of the event’s date. This list is not comprehensive of every happening and students are welcome to propose other events relevant to the course. FALL 2016 4 Hip-hop and American Culture Course Schedule Unit I The Land Has Eyes: Genealogy and Indigenous Protest Week 1 NYC aka. “Mannahatta” Introductions Syllabus (Curriculum and Requirements) Explore The Welikia Project Week 2 Lenape Nation Visit Winakung at Waterloo Stannard, David E. American Holocaust: Columbus and the Conquest of the New World. New York: Oxford UP, 1992. Week 3 Proletariat Internationalism Lowe, Lisa. The Intimacies of Four Continents. Durham: Duke, 2015. Ri︠a︡zanov, D. B. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels: An Introduction to Their Lives and Work. New York: Monthly Review, 1973. Print. Week 4 Aloha Aina Kajihiro, Kyle. "An Brief Overview of Militarization and Resistance in Hawai‘i." A DMZ-Hawai‘I March.1 (2007). Web. Crellin, Olivia. "Mauna Kea Defenders Protest against 18-storey High Telescope - BBC News." BBC News. 10 Apr. 2015. Web. 16 Mar. 2016. Fox, Chloe. "Everything You Need To Know About The Viral Protests Against A Hawaii Telescope." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 13 Apr. 2015. Web. 16 Mar. 2016. View film Noho Hewa: The Wrongful Occupation of Hawai'i (Dir. Anne Keala Kelly) FALL 2016 5 Unit II Chant Down Babylon: Blackness, Diaspora and Revolution Week 5 Egypt's Arab Spring and The Rise of Tahir Square Ngugi wa Thiong’o. Pens, Gunpoints and Dreams: Towards a Critical Theory of the Arts and the State in Africa. Clarendon Press, 1996. Hathaway, Genevieve. War On Walls: Egypt’s Arab Spring Art, 2013. Hussain, Murtazza. "Painting over History in Tahrir Square." - Al Jazeera English. 30 May 2012. Web. 21 Mar. 2016. Week 6 Hayti James, C. L. R. The Black Jacobins; Toussaint L'Ouverture and the San Domingo Revolution. New York: Vintage, 1963. Dunham, Katherine. Island Possessed. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1969. Week 7 The Revolution will be Bloody Biko, Steve, and Millard W. Arnold. Steve Biko: Black Consciousness in South Africa. New York: Random House, 1978. Print. Amanda! A Revolution in Four Part Harmony. Dir. Lee Hirsch. Perf. Vies Mahlalesa, Duma Ka Ndlovu, Miriam Makeba. ATO Pictures, Kwela Productions Lts., 2003. DVD. Week 8 Reclaiming the Body and Black Lives Matter Weheliye, Alexander G. Habeas Viscus: Racializing Assemblages, Biopolitics, and Black Feminist Theories of the Human. Durham: Duke UP, 2015. Marriott, D. S. On Black Men. New York: Columbia UP, 2000. Golden, Thelma. Black Male: Representations of Masculinity in Contemporary American Art. New York: Whitney Museum, 1995. Wattstax. Dir. Mel Stuart. Prod. Mel Stuart and Larry Shaw. By John A. Alonzo, David E. Blewitt, Robert K. Lambert, Richard Pryor, Isaac Hayes, Albert King, Little Milton, and Mavis Staples. Columbia Pictures, 1973. Brown, August. "Rodney King, John Singleton on 'Uprising: Hip-hop and the L.A. Riots'" 1 May 2012. Web. 16 Mar. 2016. FALL 2016 6 Hip-hop and American Culture Unit III La Gente Unida: Multi-Racial Workers Solidarity Week 9 Wretched of the Earth and Third World Liberation Prashad, Vijay. The Darker Nations: A People's History of the Third World. New York: New, 2007. Fanon, Frantz, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Constance Farrington. The Wretched of the Earth. New York: Grove, 1965. View film The Battle of Algiers (Dir. Gillo Pontecorvo, Allied Artists Corporation, 1969); The Fall of I-Hotel (Dir. Curtis Choy, 1983) Week 10 United Farm Workers and The Dream 9 Carroll, Rory, and Ed Pilkington. "Dream Nine Immigration Activists Freed." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 07 Aug. 2013. Web. 21 Mar. 2016. Thomson, Stephanie Jessica Bilson. Creating a Contemporary Organizational Culture through Press Release Rhetoric: The United Farm Workers. 2003. View film Delano Manongs: Forgotten Heroes of the United Farm Workers (Dir. Marissa Aroy, 2014). Week 11 Occupy Wall Street and Seattle Uprising Sinclair, Upton. The Jungle. Cambridge, MA: R. Bentley, 1971. Smith, Noah. "The Dark Side of Globalization: Why Seattle's 1999 Protesters Were Right." The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 5 Jan. 2014. Web. 21 Mar. 2016. View art by Laura Anderson Barbata and Brooklyn Jumbies “Intervention Wall Street”; Explore Madre Week 12 Research Day Week 13 Home Part I: Final Presentations A Week 14 Home Part II: Final Presentations B FALL 2016 7