Curating Public Memory
Parsons School of Design: Sch. Art and Dsgn Hist and Th
CRN: 15974
Credits: 3
Museums and memorials have long functioned as markers of a society’s past, most often as sites of celebration and honor. But just as efforts to decolonize the museum are calling for an end to imperial traditions that obscure the exploitation of people, objects, and resources, so too are tragedies, genocide, and ongoing trauma re-shaping curatorial agendas. The field of “public memory” has arisen to explain and activate the space between formal histories and individual memories--often with the goal of using memorials to re-shape the presence of the past to focus on restorative justice through collective memories and actions. Alongside have been anti-monumental and counter-memorial practices by artists that have resisted the ideological imperatives of the state often embedded in monuments. We will work through issues that have roused considerable debate in recent years, such as slavery, mass incarceration, immigration, inequality, and climate devastation. The class will work directly with organizations engaged in these issues.
College: Parsons School of Design (PS)
Department: Sch. Art and Dsgn Hist and Th (ADHT)
Campus: New York City (GV)
Course Format: Lecture (L)
Modality: In-Person
Max Enrollment: 18
Repeat Limit: 2
Add/Drop Deadline: September 9, 2024 (Monday)
Online Withdrawal Deadline: November 17, 2024 (Sunday)
Seats Available: No
Status: Closed*
* Status information is updated every few minutes. The status of this course may have changed since the last update. Open seats may have restrictions that will prevent some students from registering. Updated: 8:38pm EST 12/11/2024