LATS 258(S) Latina/o Installation and Site-Specific Art (Same as ArtH 258)*
This course will explore the various forms of installation and site-specific artworks created by Latina/o artists for both museums and public space. We will examine the ways in which
Latina/o artists have used space as a material in the production of artworks and how this
impacts the works' meanings and the viewer's experience. Within the context of U.S. Latina/o culture and history, we will connect notions of space with ideas about cultural citizenship, civil rights, and social justice. A variety of art forms will be studied, from traditional to
experimental, including murals, sculpture, performance, video, and several multimedia, interactive, or participatory projects. While establishing a historical lineage and theoretical
frameworks for analyzing this growing genre, we will pay particular attention to how these
works engage urban space and often challenge the institutional assumptions of museums and
curatorial practice. Likewise, we will examine the important debates associated with various
public art and museum installation controversies.
Format: lecture/discussion. Requirements: two short papers, periodic research reports, final
research paper, and presentation.
Prerequisites: Latina/o Studies 105 or ArtH 101-102 or permission of instructor. Enrollment
limit: 19 (expected: 12). Preference to Latina/o Studies concentrators and to Art majors.
Hour: CHAVOYA