Course information

Histories of art: contemporary issues

This seminar is named “histories of art”. The plural "histories” suggests that there are multiple ways to read, write and think about the different forms of narratives in contemporary art, according to the different contexts throughout the world. Each year, this seminar focuses on a specific topic. In 2026-2027, catching the opportunity of the 61^st Venice Biennial and of its main exhibition titled “In Minor Keys”, conceived by the artistic director Koyo Kouoh (1967-2025), the seminar will consider the ways in which artists, art critics and/or historians address the « minor keys » in troubled times. Literary and theoretical references will help us to study artworks closely and to underscore in particular notions such as affect, history, memory, or thresholds.