Class Art, Culture and Communication

The Curricular Unit Art, Culture and Communication deals different media and artistic practices, to demonstrate the place of art in the field of communication and in society.     The aim is to work how art and culture are part of the field of communication, namely considering the central role of photography and new media, which function as media of communication.      New media are highlighted, holding an important place in artistic creation, since with the digital and the virtual, interactive, and relational artworks dilute the separation between the public and the art domains, affirming the museum as a forum of debate and action.      It is also addressed and discussed the expansion of art beyond the cultural institution, and the participation of the public, both being encouraged by performances and happenings that favour political and social actions.    In this way, we’ll reflect on how various artistic practices are articulated and their potential as media of communication.

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1. Art and Visual Culture 1.1. Visual Culture and Cultural Studies 1.2. What Art Is (Arthur Danto) 1.3. Art and Life   2. Photography 2.1. Short History of Photography, from Walter Benjamin 2.2. Photography as a medium of communication 2.3. The Work of Art in the Era of Mechanical Reproduction, from Walter Benjamin   3. New Media 3.1. New Media from Communication to Art 3.2. Mediation and Remediation 3.3. Digital, virtual, and online   4. Participatory Art and Relational Aesthetics 4.1. Interaction, Immersion, and an active spectator 4.1. Participation in Art, performances, and happenings 4.2 Relational artistic practices   5. The Museum 5.1. A participatory museum 5.2. Curation and Exhibition as fields of action

   The CU's main teaching methodology is with theory based on fundamental references in the field of study in question, developed from its bibliography. Although, other contents and materials are added, mainly videos, since it is recognized the importance of contacting with art through visual elements. Also, the proximity with artworks and art spaces is crucial, hence it will take place a visit to a museum.

Belting, H. (2009) Contemporary Art as Global Art. A Critical Estimate.  Benjamin, W. (1931). Pequena história da fotografia.  Benjamin, W. (1935) A Obra de Arte na Época da Sua Possibilidade de Reprodução Técnica Bishop, C. (Ed.) (2006). Participation. The MIT Press. Bourriaud, N. (1998). Relational Aesthetics. Les presses du reel, 2002. Bragança de Miranda, J. (2002). Teoria da Cultura. Edições Século XXI. Danto, A. (1924). What Art is. Yale University Press, 2013. Groys, B. (2009). A genealogy of Participatory Art  Manovich, L. (2001). The Language of New Media. The MIT Press. Manovich, L. (2008) Art after web 2.0.