Artistic Expressions of East Asia: Histories and Legacies
Series of standalone two-hour workshops focusing on artistic expressions of East Asia
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The first session, East Asian Art History: Form, Content, and Connections on Monday, August 9, is an introductory overview of art historical concepts and forms for people who are new to East Asian art and art history and for people who are looking for a refresher.
The second session on Wednesday, August 11, Exploring Post-Growth Ways of Life: Art Festivals and Art Projects will introduce recent economic and demographic trends in Japan: persistent low growth and the beginnings of population decline. As large-scale growth has faltered, many in Japan have begun to explore sustainability and local autonomy as values that are better suited to future as it is coming into view. Artists and art projects have played a major role in imagining and experimenting with new ways of life, particularly in rural areas that have suffered most under growth-centered regimes.
On Thursday, August 12, Nuclear Threats as Visualized in Art and Culture will introduce works of artists, including writers and filmmakers, that illuminate and address nuclear threats in the various form they have taken post-1945, from nuclear power generation to weapons production, testing, and fallout. We will focus on recent works that have been selected to give insight into the diversity of nuclear impacts around the world, but mostly focused on Japan.
The final session on Friday, August 13, The Politics of Monuments, Memorials, and Public Art will introduce public art works and the politics of their making and legacies. While our examples will focus mostly on East Asia, this conversation lends itself to actions taking place around the world to address the complicated histories of monuments and what happens when we question in whose honor they were erected.