The mission of the Department of Art History is to promote scholarly inquiry into the history of art, in all its different media, in a wide range of historical periods and world cultures.

Announcements

"Within and Outside: The American Indian Presence at the Venice Biennale, 1999- 2009"

The premise that globalization inherently corrupts indigenous populations frames many of the questions posed in response to the inclusion of American Indian contemporary arts in international settings. My research seeks to interrogate the established paradigm of the West and the Rest by locating American Indian artists as active producers of globalization in conversation with their artistic peers. The Venice Biennale is then both liberatory and restrictive in its effects, because indigenous artists themselves are conciliatory to the established structure of nationalism, but in addition, wish to avoid dated, preconceived notions of identity. Thus, the biennale platform provides a conventional narrative from which participants structure their aesthetic statements in coherence to, in reaction against, and in negotiation with, established mainstream notions of contemporary art aesthetics. This "third space" consideration defies outdated notions of victimhood or oppression by conceptualizing American Indian curatorial practices (including reciprocity, mentorship and long-term mutually-meaningful relationships) as creative and generative forms of knowledge production enacted simultaneously in local as well as transnational platforms.

Currently at the Chazen Museum of Art:

October 17, 2009: Nicola López: Urban Transformations. Runs October 17 through January 2, 2010| Brittingham Galleries VI & VII

October 31, 2009: Back in the World: Portraits of Wisconsin Vietnam Veterans . Runs October 31 through January 3, 2010| Mayer Gallery

Check the Chazen Museum Website for details! Chazen Museum of Art

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