Art, Space, and the City WNY310

Instructor: Ondine Chavoya

This course will explore the ways artworks and artists engage with urban space in New York City. We will examine the interactions (and tensions) between art and the public realm, considering issues such as public access, public representation, and, importantly, public space in relation to questions of democracy and dialogue.

Throughout the semester we will analyze various debates on art and urban space through historical and theoretical writings and consider the issues of urban development (including, gentrification, privatization, and surveillance), cultural diversity, immigration, and globalization.

In New York City, site visits will be held at museums, galleries, alternative art spaces, and in artists’ studios. Institutions and organizations that support and promote public projects, particularly experimental and/or multimedia approaches, will also be introduced.

Weekly writing assignments will be modeled on art reviews; with this goal in mind we will study review formats, styles, and conventions from a variety of publications over the course of the semester. Shorter writing assignments will be developed and expanded into a final paper.