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Concentration
Title
Module
Semester
Day/Time
Art and Aesthetics
Artistic Practice
Fall 2023
Wed, 1000-1300
Programs: Academy Year, BA in Artistic Practice and Society, Study Abroad
Concentration: Art and Aesthetics
Module: Artistic Practice
Level: Foundational
Day/Time: Wed, 1000-1300
Credits:
Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Raphael Beil, Tobia Silvotti
This seminar introduces students to basic techniques of working stone by hand, using simple, traditional tools such as hammers and various chisels. The aim is to create our own marble sculpture. Along the way we learn how to handle the necessary tools, from the first rough work, to the differentiation and finally the partial grinding and polishing of the marble. We learn the basics of three-dimensional form, proportion and structure. In order to create our own work of art, we also discuss the possible sources of creativity, and ways of accessing inspiration and the imagination to create a very individual sculpture. The seminar will conclude with a presentation of all sculptures and joint analysis of the different artistic languages present in the works. The workshops will be accompanied by lectures on the works and public sculpture projects of Raphael Beil and other contemporary sculptors. Weather permitting, our workshops will take place in a sheltered beautiful garden in Reinickendorf on the grounds of Monopol. Tools, possibly light machinery and work tables as well as work protection will be provided. No previous experience is necessary to participate in the course.
Please note there is a fee of €40 for participation in this course to cover material expenses.
Concentration: Art and Aesthetics
Module: Artistic Practice
FA112 Marble Stone Sculpture (Group B)
Fall 2023Level: Foundational
Day/Time: Wed, 1000-1300
Credits:
Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Raphael Beil, Tobia Silvotti
This seminar introduces students to basic techniques of working stone by hand, using simple, traditional tools such as hammers and various chisels. The aim is to create our own marble sculpture. Along the way we learn how to handle the necessary tools, from the first rough work, to the differentiation and finally the partial grinding and polishing of the marble. We learn the basics of three-dimensional form, proportion and structure. In order to create our own work of art, we also discuss the possible sources of creativity, and ways of accessing inspiration and the imagination to create a very individual sculpture. The seminar will conclude with a presentation of all sculptures and joint analysis of the different artistic languages present in the works. The workshops will be accompanied by lectures on the works and public sculpture projects of Raphael Beil and other contemporary sculptors. Weather permitting, our workshops will take place in a sheltered beautiful garden in Reinickendorf on the grounds of Monopol. Tools, possibly light machinery and work tables as well as work protection will be provided. No previous experience is necessary to participate in the course.
Please note there is a fee of €40 for participation in this course to cover material expenses.
Artistic Practice
Art History, Culture and Society
Fall 2023
Tue, 1400-1715
Programs: Academy Year, BA in Artistic Practice and Society, Certificate in Human Rights, Study Abroad
Concentration: Artistic Practice
Module: Art History, Culture and Society
Level: Foundational
Day/Time: Tue, 1400-1715
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Instructor: Aya Soika
This is a core course for the OSUN Human Rights Certificate.
What aspects of the past are being remembered in German culture of the 20th and 21st centuries? How do Berlin’s numerous memorials, buildings and museums add to the dynamics of the remembrance culture discourse? And how do art and architecture reflect past and present attempts to define and redefine the nation’s narratives and memories? The seminar focuses on “the place of Germany’s past” in the country’s development throughout the twentieth century up until today, through an examination of art works, memorials and buildings. The many places in Berlin that deal with the Nazi dictatorship, with persecution, war and genocide will be central to our discussion; however, we will also address broader questions, for example on the relationship between history and memory (Aleida Assmann), Germany’s alleged special path (Mary Fulbrook), the development of the counter memorial (James E. Young), or the distinctive topography of Berlin (Andreas Huyssen). Our overview of the role of memory in 20th- and 21st-century German art and culture ends with an exploration of more recent debates concerning multidirectional memory and the future of Germany’s memory discourse. Site visits will be an important part of the seminar.
Syllabus
Concentration: Artistic Practice
Module: Art History, Culture and Society
AH212 Memory Matters: The Place of Germany’s Past in the Present
Fall 2023Level: Foundational
Day/Time: Tue, 1400-1715
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Instructor: Aya Soika
This is a core course for the OSUN Human Rights Certificate.
What aspects of the past are being remembered in German culture of the 20th and 21st centuries? How do Berlin’s numerous memorials, buildings and museums add to the dynamics of the remembrance culture discourse? And how do art and architecture reflect past and present attempts to define and redefine the nation’s narratives and memories? The seminar focuses on “the place of Germany’s past” in the country’s development throughout the twentieth century up until today, through an examination of art works, memorials and buildings. The many places in Berlin that deal with the Nazi dictatorship, with persecution, war and genocide will be central to our discussion; however, we will also address broader questions, for example on the relationship between history and memory (Aleida Assmann), Germany’s alleged special path (Mary Fulbrook), the development of the counter memorial (James E. Young), or the distinctive topography of Berlin (Andreas Huyssen). Our overview of the role of memory in 20th- and 21st-century German art and culture ends with an exploration of more recent debates concerning multidirectional memory and the future of Germany’s memory discourse. Site visits will be an important part of the seminar.
Syllabus
Artistic Practice
Art, Institutions and Engagement
Fall 2023
Fri, 1200-1730
Programs: Academy Year, BA in Artistic Practice and Society, Study Abroad
Concentration: Artistic Practice
Module: Art, Institutions and Engagement
Level: Advanced
Day/Time: Fri, 1200-1730
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Instructors: Aya Soika , Andrea Meyer (T.U. Berlin)
Note that this course is a Blockseminar and begins in the second half of the semester
Berlin has a long history as a museum center, possessing collections to rival Paris and London. Recently, the institution of the museum – quintessentially a 19 th century invention – has been the subject of radical transformation, resulting in changing modes of display and communication and a critical revision of existing notions of its public function. This class looks at some of the crucial themes within the current curatorial discourse, taking the recent transformations in Berlin’s museumscape and the discussions that haven been sparked by them as its point of departure. To begin with we will explore the Humboldt Forum, a national prestige project that had become the subject of heated debate long before its recent opening. The fact that the building hosts Berlin’s colonial ethnographic collections whilst its newly built façade copies the former Prussian City Palace – once the seat of Germany’s last emperor and demolished in the early 1950s – allows to take a closer look at the complex relationship between museum space and its collections. We will also pay attention to the ongoing developments on Museum Island and at “Kulturforum” near Potsdamer Platz. Whereas Mies van der Rohe’s Neue Nationalgalerie was re-opened in 2021, a new building for the State Museums’ comprehensive twentieth-century collection by Herzog & de Meuron architects is underway. However, we will also take the changes at the supposed periphery of the city into consideration, in Dahlem for example, where both the Brücke-Museum and the Kunsthaus Dahlem have effectively revised traditional exhibition and outreach programming. Pursuing these investigations will give us a unique insight into the decision-making processes, choices, and public discourse surrounding the modern display and understanding of art.
Syllabus
Concentration: Artistic Practice
Module: Art, Institutions and Engagement
AH216 Berlin’s Museum Controversies
Fall 2023Level: Advanced
Day/Time: Fri, 1200-1730
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Instructors: Aya Soika , Andrea Meyer (T.U. Berlin)
Note that this course is a Blockseminar and begins in the second half of the semester
Berlin has a long history as a museum center, possessing collections to rival Paris and London. Recently, the institution of the museum – quintessentially a 19 th century invention – has been the subject of radical transformation, resulting in changing modes of display and communication and a critical revision of existing notions of its public function. This class looks at some of the crucial themes within the current curatorial discourse, taking the recent transformations in Berlin’s museumscape and the discussions that haven been sparked by them as its point of departure. To begin with we will explore the Humboldt Forum, a national prestige project that had become the subject of heated debate long before its recent opening. The fact that the building hosts Berlin’s colonial ethnographic collections whilst its newly built façade copies the former Prussian City Palace – once the seat of Germany’s last emperor and demolished in the early 1950s – allows to take a closer look at the complex relationship between museum space and its collections. We will also pay attention to the ongoing developments on Museum Island and at “Kulturforum” near Potsdamer Platz. Whereas Mies van der Rohe’s Neue Nationalgalerie was re-opened in 2021, a new building for the State Museums’ comprehensive twentieth-century collection by Herzog & de Meuron architects is underway. However, we will also take the changes at the supposed periphery of the city into consideration, in Dahlem for example, where both the Brücke-Museum and the Kunsthaus Dahlem have effectively revised traditional exhibition and outreach programming. Pursuing these investigations will give us a unique insight into the decision-making processes, choices, and public discourse surrounding the modern display and understanding of art.
Syllabus
Artistic Practice
Art History, Culture and Society, Art, Science and Ecology
Fall 2023
Thur, 1400-1715
Programs: Academy Year, BA in Artistic Practice and Society, Study Abroad
Concentration: Artistic Practice
Modules: Art History, Culture and Society, Art, Science and Ecology
Level: Foundational
Day/Time: Thur, 1400-1715
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Instructor: Friederike Schäfer
The course considers the history of art in the twentieth century from the perspective of what can be termed the “nature–culture divide” in Western art traditions. We will look into different conceptions of “nature” that artists have developed in and through art, and end with the discussion around the “Anthropocene” and alternative models regarding the changing relation between humans and “nature,” which emerged at the turn of the millennium. Departing from landscape painting traditions that aimed at creating a compelling representation of an ideal image of nature, abstract painters took a more analytical approach to “the nature of nature.” The focus, however, is on the emergence of natural materials in the exhibition space. In the 1960s and 1970s, several art forms—from process art, and more specifically earth art and land art to performative practices—started to work directly with and in relation to nature. We will discuss this change from representational to material strategies, specifically considering feminist approaches, and look into the development of artistic practices that can be subsumed under environmental art. In doing so, we will ask how exhibitions deal with different conceptions of nature and analyze how “nature” is (re)presented in exhibition spaces, also taking into consideration non-Western concepts and epistemologies.
Syllabus
Concentration: Artistic Practice
Modules: Art History, Culture and Society, Art, Science and Ecology
AH217 Nature on Display. From Landscape Representations to Mold(er)ing Earth in Exhibition Spaces
Fall 2023Level: Foundational
Day/Time: Thur, 1400-1715
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Instructor: Friederike Schäfer
The course considers the history of art in the twentieth century from the perspective of what can be termed the “nature–culture divide” in Western art traditions. We will look into different conceptions of “nature” that artists have developed in and through art, and end with the discussion around the “Anthropocene” and alternative models regarding the changing relation between humans and “nature,” which emerged at the turn of the millennium. Departing from landscape painting traditions that aimed at creating a compelling representation of an ideal image of nature, abstract painters took a more analytical approach to “the nature of nature.” The focus, however, is on the emergence of natural materials in the exhibition space. In the 1960s and 1970s, several art forms—from process art, and more specifically earth art and land art to performative practices—started to work directly with and in relation to nature. We will discuss this change from representational to material strategies, specifically considering feminist approaches, and look into the development of artistic practices that can be subsumed under environmental art. In doing so, we will ask how exhibitions deal with different conceptions of nature and analyze how “nature” is (re)presented in exhibition spaces, also taking into consideration non-Western concepts and epistemologies.
Syllabus
Artistic Practice
Theory, History, Art Forms
Fall 2023
Mon, 1545-1900
Programs: Academy Year, BA in Artistic Practice and Society, Study Abroad
Concentration: Artistic Practice
Module: Theory, History, Art Forms
Level: Advanced
Day/Time: Mon, 1545-1900
Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Geoff Lehman
In this course, Diego Velázquez’s painting Las Meninas will serve as a focal point and framework for the exploration of a number of key issues related to the theory and practice of painting, looking at a diverse range of artworks. Major topics for the course include: portraiture and the gaze; perspective as pictorial structure and as depiction of (room) space; the intersection of chronos (the representation of narrative or historical time) and kairos (the plenitude of the depicted moment); self-reflexivity: the way pictures explicitly raise questions about artistic practice, the artist, and art itself; the phenomenology of the encounter with paintings; psychoanalytic interpretations of pictures; and “the anxiety of influence.” In reference to these themes, we consider the vast range of artworks that have been created in response to Las Meninas, especially since Picasso’s Las Meninas series in the 1950s. Discussing these different aspects of the encounter with painting and its interpretation, we will engage Velázquez’s complex painting in depth through close reading, sustained attention, and open-ended interpretation. Beyond this, we will have a chance to explore the topics above through consideration of selected artworks from the Renaissance up to the contemporary moment. Artists whose works we study will include Van Eyck, Mantegna, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Goya, Picasso, Sargent, Dalí, Witkin, Weems, and Sussman. Readings will be from Steinberg, Foucault, Calderón, Jung, Freud, Lispector, Woolf, Riegl, Heidegger, Merleau-Ponty, Bachelard, and others. Visits to museums to encounter works of art in person will be an integral part of the course.
Syllabus
Concentration: Artistic Practice
Module: Theory, History, Art Forms
AH314 Las Meninas and the Pictorial Encounter
Fall 2023Level: Advanced
Day/Time: Mon, 1545-1900
Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Geoff Lehman
In this course, Diego Velázquez’s painting Las Meninas will serve as a focal point and framework for the exploration of a number of key issues related to the theory and practice of painting, looking at a diverse range of artworks. Major topics for the course include: portraiture and the gaze; perspective as pictorial structure and as depiction of (room) space; the intersection of chronos (the representation of narrative or historical time) and kairos (the plenitude of the depicted moment); self-reflexivity: the way pictures explicitly raise questions about artistic practice, the artist, and art itself; the phenomenology of the encounter with paintings; psychoanalytic interpretations of pictures; and “the anxiety of influence.” In reference to these themes, we consider the vast range of artworks that have been created in response to Las Meninas, especially since Picasso’s Las Meninas series in the 1950s. Discussing these different aspects of the encounter with painting and its interpretation, we will engage Velázquez’s complex painting in depth through close reading, sustained attention, and open-ended interpretation. Beyond this, we will have a chance to explore the topics above through consideration of selected artworks from the Renaissance up to the contemporary moment. Artists whose works we study will include Van Eyck, Mantegna, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Goya, Picasso, Sargent, Dalí, Witkin, Weems, and Sussman. Readings will be from Steinberg, Foucault, Calderón, Jung, Freud, Lispector, Woolf, Riegl, Heidegger, Merleau-Ponty, Bachelard, and others. Visits to museums to encounter works of art in person will be an integral part of the course.
Syllabus
Artistic Practice
Art, Institutions and Engagement
Fall 2023
Mon, 1400-1715
Programs: Academy Year, BA in Artistic Practice and Society, Study Abroad
Concentration: Artistic Practice
Module: Art, Institutions and Engagement
Level: Advanced
Day/Time: Mon, 1400-1715
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Instructor: Dorothea von Hantelmann
Museums and exhibitions derive their social function from the fact that they uphold certain values and concepts within society. Looking at art spaces historically as a series of decisive moments of transformation, we will explore the format of the exhibition as a modern ritual site in which particular aspects of the modern socio-economic order – such as the individual, the object, or notions of progress – were, and continue to be, performed and cultivated. What can the early modern cabinets of curiosities in the 16th century tell us about the emergence of an initial consumer culture? Can we retrace the entire history of individualization by following the increase of wall space between paintings in 19th- and 20th-century galleries? And what does the current transformation of white cubes into time-based experiential spaces tell us about early 21st-century societies? Combining historical and theoretical approaches, we’ll draw from sources of museum history, anthropology, and cultural history in order to understand the changing social role of art institutions throughout history. Looking at utopian institutional models of the 1960s and a selection of contemporary approaches, we will then also discuss the parameters of new arts institutions for today. We may find that the transformations of our epoch are asking for a new kind of ritual, to follow and perhaps replace that of the exhibition.
Syllabus
Concentration: Artistic Practice
Module: Art, Institutions and Engagement
AH320 The Exhibition – A New Western Ritual?
Fall 2023Level: Advanced
Day/Time: Mon, 1400-1715
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Instructor: Dorothea von Hantelmann
Museums and exhibitions derive their social function from the fact that they uphold certain values and concepts within society. Looking at art spaces historically as a series of decisive moments of transformation, we will explore the format of the exhibition as a modern ritual site in which particular aspects of the modern socio-economic order – such as the individual, the object, or notions of progress – were, and continue to be, performed and cultivated. What can the early modern cabinets of curiosities in the 16th century tell us about the emergence of an initial consumer culture? Can we retrace the entire history of individualization by following the increase of wall space between paintings in 19th- and 20th-century galleries? And what does the current transformation of white cubes into time-based experiential spaces tell us about early 21st-century societies? Combining historical and theoretical approaches, we’ll draw from sources of museum history, anthropology, and cultural history in order to understand the changing social role of art institutions throughout history. Looking at utopian institutional models of the 1960s and a selection of contemporary approaches, we will then also discuss the parameters of new arts institutions for today. We may find that the transformations of our epoch are asking for a new kind of ritual, to follow and perhaps replace that of the exhibition.
Syllabus
Artistic Practice
Artistic Practice
Fall 2023
Thur, 0930-1245
Programs: Academy Year, BA in Artistic Practice and Society, Study Abroad
Concentration: Artistic Practice
Module: Artistic Practice
Level: Foundational
Day/Time: Thur, 0930-1245
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Instructor: John Kleckner
This studio art course explores contemporary and historical approaches to drawing and collage. Suitable for all levels of artistic ability, the goal is to enhance aesthetic comprehension and personal expression through the creation of mixed-media drawings and collages. We begin by transcribing embodied experience into visual compositions, attending to our perceptual awareness in order to strengthen the coordination of mind, eyes, and hands. Course activities will ask students to: make analytical drawings of figure / object arrangements, develop conceptual methods of composition, make abstractions from nature by working outdoors, gather materials from Berlin's famous Flohmärkte (flea markets) to use in collages and assemblages, work collaboratively on large-scale drawings, and experiment with innovative combinations of text and imagery. A core theme will be the potential to generate new and surprising content from the juxtaposition of found printed fragments and hand-drawn lines. Of special interest for our class discussions will be works created by current and historical Berliners, such as Dada artist Hannah Höch. The majority of classes are studio work sessions. There will also be several group critiques, slideshow presentations, and artist studio / gallery visits. The semester culminates in the “Open Studios” exhibition at the BCB Factory and a printed publication of student artworks. Students are expected to be self-motivated, open to exploring new ways of working, and comfortable sharing their artworks during class discussions. Studio work is the priority, so this course will require a significant amount of time working outside of class sessions. Prospective students should email their questions to the professor directly.
Syllabus
Concentration: Artistic Practice
Module: Artistic Practice
FA103 Found Fragments and Layered Lines: Mixed-Media Techniques for Drawing and Collage
Fall 2023Level: Foundational
Day/Time: Thur, 0930-1245
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Instructor: John Kleckner
This studio art course explores contemporary and historical approaches to drawing and collage. Suitable for all levels of artistic ability, the goal is to enhance aesthetic comprehension and personal expression through the creation of mixed-media drawings and collages. We begin by transcribing embodied experience into visual compositions, attending to our perceptual awareness in order to strengthen the coordination of mind, eyes, and hands. Course activities will ask students to: make analytical drawings of figure / object arrangements, develop conceptual methods of composition, make abstractions from nature by working outdoors, gather materials from Berlin's famous Flohmärkte (flea markets) to use in collages and assemblages, work collaboratively on large-scale drawings, and experiment with innovative combinations of text and imagery. A core theme will be the potential to generate new and surprising content from the juxtaposition of found printed fragments and hand-drawn lines. Of special interest for our class discussions will be works created by current and historical Berliners, such as Dada artist Hannah Höch. The majority of classes are studio work sessions. There will also be several group critiques, slideshow presentations, and artist studio / gallery visits. The semester culminates in the “Open Studios” exhibition at the BCB Factory and a printed publication of student artworks. Students are expected to be self-motivated, open to exploring new ways of working, and comfortable sharing their artworks during class discussions. Studio work is the priority, so this course will require a significant amount of time working outside of class sessions. Prospective students should email their questions to the professor directly.
Syllabus
Artistic Practice
Artistic Practice
Fall 2023
Fri, 0900-1215
Programs: Academy Year, BA in Artistic Practice and Society, Study Abroad
Concentration: Artistic Practice
Module: Artistic Practice
Level: Foundational
Day/Time: Fri, 0900-1215
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Instructor: April Gertler
The Slow Photo is an introduction to Black and White photography. The class will focus on learning how to use a manual camera and finding one’s way in an analogue darkroom. Students will be exposed to the rich photographic history of Berlin through presentations, discussions and a historical walk through parts of the city. The historical component of the class will cover works by Berlin-based photographers from Helga Paris to Michael Schmidt. Assignments throughout the semester will mirror various photo styles used in the historical examples discussed, from Portraiture to Street Photography. Camera techniques and Black and White printing will be the fundamental basis of the class. Students will leave the class understanding the time commitment and concentration it takes to produce beautiful Black and White analog images.
Syllabus
Concentration: Artistic Practice
Module: Artistic Practice
FA106 Beginners Black and White Photography Class: The Slow Photo (Group A)
Fall 2023Level: Foundational
Day/Time: Fri, 0900-1215
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Instructor: April Gertler
The Slow Photo is an introduction to Black and White photography. The class will focus on learning how to use a manual camera and finding one’s way in an analogue darkroom. Students will be exposed to the rich photographic history of Berlin through presentations, discussions and a historical walk through parts of the city. The historical component of the class will cover works by Berlin-based photographers from Helga Paris to Michael Schmidt. Assignments throughout the semester will mirror various photo styles used in the historical examples discussed, from Portraiture to Street Photography. Camera techniques and Black and White printing will be the fundamental basis of the class. Students will leave the class understanding the time commitment and concentration it takes to produce beautiful Black and White analog images.
Syllabus
Artistic Practice
Artistic Practice
Fall 2023
Fri, 1545-1900
Programs: Academy Year, BA in Artistic Practice and Society, Study Abroad
Concentration: Artistic Practice
Module: Artistic Practice
Level: Foundational
Day/Time: Fri, 1545-1900
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): April Gertler
The Slow Photo is an introduction to Black and White photography. The class will focus on learning how to use a manual camera and finding one’s way in an analogue darkroom. Students will be exposed to the rich photographic history of Berlin through presentations, discussions and a historical walk through parts of the city. The historical component of the class will cover works by Berlin-based photographers from Helga Paris to Michael Schmidt. Assignments throughout the semester will mirror various photo styles used in the historical examples discussed, from Portraiture to Street Photography. Camera techniques and Black and White printing will be the fundamental basis of the class. Students will leave the class understanding the time commitment and concentration it takes to produce beautiful Black and White analog images.
Syllabus
Concentration: Artistic Practice
Module: Artistic Practice
FA106 Beginners Black and White Photography Class: The Slow Photo (Group B)
Fall 2023Level: Foundational
Day/Time: Fri, 1545-1900
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): April Gertler
The Slow Photo is an introduction to Black and White photography. The class will focus on learning how to use a manual camera and finding one’s way in an analogue darkroom. Students will be exposed to the rich photographic history of Berlin through presentations, discussions and a historical walk through parts of the city. The historical component of the class will cover works by Berlin-based photographers from Helga Paris to Michael Schmidt. Assignments throughout the semester will mirror various photo styles used in the historical examples discussed, from Portraiture to Street Photography. Camera techniques and Black and White printing will be the fundamental basis of the class. Students will leave the class understanding the time commitment and concentration it takes to produce beautiful Black and White analog images.
Syllabus
Artistic Practice
Artistic Practice
Fall 2023
Mon, 0900-1215
Programs: Academy Year, BA in Artistic Practice and Society, Study Abroad
Concentration: Artistic Practice
Module: Artistic Practice
Level: Foundational
Day/Time: Mon, 0900-1215
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Instructor: Carla Åhlander
This course is an introduction to digital photography with a focus on artistic expression. The course is aimed at those who want to learn digital photography at a basic level and develop their photographic work into a project. The course includes in-class critiques and discussions on the choice of method, technique and subject matter, as well as possible forms of presentation. Parts of the course will consist of looking at works by contemporary and historical photographers, as well as introductions to the technical and theoretical tools you will need to work on your project. We will ask questions such as: “what is my own way of seeing something?”; “what is my own point of view?"
Syllabus
Concentration: Artistic Practice
Module: Artistic Practice
FA108 Beginners in Digital Photography - Your own point of view
Fall 2023Level: Foundational
Day/Time: Mon, 0900-1215
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Instructor: Carla Åhlander
This course is an introduction to digital photography with a focus on artistic expression. The course is aimed at those who want to learn digital photography at a basic level and develop their photographic work into a project. The course includes in-class critiques and discussions on the choice of method, technique and subject matter, as well as possible forms of presentation. Parts of the course will consist of looking at works by contemporary and historical photographers, as well as introductions to the technical and theoretical tools you will need to work on your project. We will ask questions such as: “what is my own way of seeing something?”; “what is my own point of view?"
Syllabus
Programs: Academy Year, BA in Artistic Practice and Society, Study Abroad
Concentration: Artistic Practice
Module: Artistic Practice
Level: Foundational
Day/Time: Tue, 0930-1245
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Instructor: John Kleckner
This course is an introduction to the materials, techniques, and concepts of painting; it establishes the foundation for studio practice using oil- and water-based paints. With the help of practical demonstrations students will learn about the specific qualities of various paints; how to stretch canvases, prepare painting surfaces, and apply paint using traditional and experimental techniques. Assignments will cultivate an understanding of color mixing, hue, value, chroma, warm/cool temperature, composition building, perspectival space, mark-making, surface texture, and effects of shadow and light. Students will work from direct observation, use photographic references, and develop abstractions. Studio work will be supported by readings, discussions, and slide presentations that engage relevant themes in the discourse of contemporary painting. Special attention will be paid in classroom discussions to painters (past and present) with strong connections to the city of Berlin. Class size is limited to ensure each student has adequate studio space and a time with the professor for individual feedback and support. Evaluations and critiques occur at midterm and at the end of the term. The semester culminates in the “Open Studios” exhibition at the BCB Factory and a printed publication of student artworks. Studio work is the priority, so this course will require a significant amount of time working outside of class sessions. Prospective students should email their questions to the professor directly.
Syllabus
Concentration: Artistic Practice
Module: Artistic Practice
FA109 Fundamentals of Painting
Fall 2023Level: Foundational
Day/Time: Tue, 0930-1245
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Instructor: John Kleckner
This course is an introduction to the materials, techniques, and concepts of painting; it establishes the foundation for studio practice using oil- and water-based paints. With the help of practical demonstrations students will learn about the specific qualities of various paints; how to stretch canvases, prepare painting surfaces, and apply paint using traditional and experimental techniques. Assignments will cultivate an understanding of color mixing, hue, value, chroma, warm/cool temperature, composition building, perspectival space, mark-making, surface texture, and effects of shadow and light. Students will work from direct observation, use photographic references, and develop abstractions. Studio work will be supported by readings, discussions, and slide presentations that engage relevant themes in the discourse of contemporary painting. Special attention will be paid in classroom discussions to painters (past and present) with strong connections to the city of Berlin. Class size is limited to ensure each student has adequate studio space and a time with the professor for individual feedback and support. Evaluations and critiques occur at midterm and at the end of the term. The semester culminates in the “Open Studios” exhibition at the BCB Factory and a printed publication of student artworks. Studio work is the priority, so this course will require a significant amount of time working outside of class sessions. Prospective students should email their questions to the professor directly.
Syllabus
Programs: Academy Year, BA in Artistic Practice and Society, Study Abroad
Concentration: Artistic Practice
Module: Artistic Practice
Level: Foundational
Day/Time: Mon, 1000-1300
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Instructors: Raphael Beil, Tobia Silvotti
This seminar introduces students to basic techniques of working stone by hand, using simple, traditional tools such as hammers and various chisels. The aim is to create our own marble sculpture. Along the way we learn how to handle the necessary tools, from the first rough work, to the differentiation and finally the partial grinding and polishing of the marble. We learn the basics of three-dimensional form, proportion and structure. In order to create our own work of art, we also discuss the possible sources of creativity, and ways of accessing inspiration and the imagination to create a very individual sculpture. The seminar will conclude with a presentation of all sculptures and joint analysis of the different artistic languages present in the works. The workshops will be accompanied by lectures on the works and public sculpture projects of Raphael Beil and other contemporary sculptors. Weather permitting, our workshops will take place in a sheltered beautiful garden in Reinickendorf on the grounds of Monopol. Tools, possibly light machinery and work tables as well as work protection will be provided. No previous experience is necessary to participate in the course.
Please note there is a fee of €40 for participation in this course to cover material expenses.
Syllabus
Concentration: Artistic Practice
Module: Artistic Practice
FA112 Marble Stone Sculpture (Group A)
Fall 2023Level: Foundational
Day/Time: Mon, 1000-1300
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Instructors: Raphael Beil, Tobia Silvotti
This seminar introduces students to basic techniques of working stone by hand, using simple, traditional tools such as hammers and various chisels. The aim is to create our own marble sculpture. Along the way we learn how to handle the necessary tools, from the first rough work, to the differentiation and finally the partial grinding and polishing of the marble. We learn the basics of three-dimensional form, proportion and structure. In order to create our own work of art, we also discuss the possible sources of creativity, and ways of accessing inspiration and the imagination to create a very individual sculpture. The seminar will conclude with a presentation of all sculptures and joint analysis of the different artistic languages present in the works. The workshops will be accompanied by lectures on the works and public sculpture projects of Raphael Beil and other contemporary sculptors. Weather permitting, our workshops will take place in a sheltered beautiful garden in Reinickendorf on the grounds of Monopol. Tools, possibly light machinery and work tables as well as work protection will be provided. No previous experience is necessary to participate in the course.
Please note there is a fee of €40 for participation in this course to cover material expenses.
Syllabus
Artistic Practice
Artistic Practice
Fall 2023
Tue, 0900-1215
Programs: Academy Year, BA in Artistic Practice and Society, Study Abroad
Concentration: Artistic Practice
Module: Artistic Practice
Level: Foundational
Day/Time: Tue, 0900-1215
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Instructor: Sophie Lee
Daily life unfolds via the glow of the screen. As the auto-fictive turn merges with the ascendance of an attention economy we are all tasked with narrating our lives in real-time. Experience becomes content, subjectivity, our cultural and social capital. What impact does this have on artists’ moving image practices? What new vernaculars emerge from the primacy of the screen, and how do new forms of distribution shape different encounters with video? In this course we will consider how video’s proliferation in everyday life imbues the medium with a particular urgency, and seek accordingly to find euphoric new ways of making. We will consider the use of autobiography and performance in the moving image, looking here to the legacies of queer and feminist filmmaking practices. This is a hands-on, participatory course with weekly filmmaking assignments. Individual inquiry will be paired with radical modes of collaboration, allowing us to challenge traditional notions of authorship. We will look at contemporary artists working with the moving image and contextualize these works within existing legacies of experimental filmmaking. We will also draw on a wide range of other sources including cultural theory, poetry, music videos and Hollywood cinema in our bid to give form to what it feels like to live now. The focus of this course will not be on technical instruction, but rather on providing students with the conceptual and aesthetic tools with which to develop their own artistic language, and to bring their own works from idea to realization.
Syllabus
Concentration: Artistic Practice
Module: Artistic Practice
FA290 Touch Screen: Contemporary Moving Image Practices
Fall 2023Level: Foundational
Day/Time: Tue, 0900-1215
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Instructor: Sophie Lee
Daily life unfolds via the glow of the screen. As the auto-fictive turn merges with the ascendance of an attention economy we are all tasked with narrating our lives in real-time. Experience becomes content, subjectivity, our cultural and social capital. What impact does this have on artists’ moving image practices? What new vernaculars emerge from the primacy of the screen, and how do new forms of distribution shape different encounters with video? In this course we will consider how video’s proliferation in everyday life imbues the medium with a particular urgency, and seek accordingly to find euphoric new ways of making. We will consider the use of autobiography and performance in the moving image, looking here to the legacies of queer and feminist filmmaking practices. This is a hands-on, participatory course with weekly filmmaking assignments. Individual inquiry will be paired with radical modes of collaboration, allowing us to challenge traditional notions of authorship. We will look at contemporary artists working with the moving image and contextualize these works within existing legacies of experimental filmmaking. We will also draw on a wide range of other sources including cultural theory, poetry, music videos and Hollywood cinema in our bid to give form to what it feels like to live now. The focus of this course will not be on technical instruction, but rather on providing students with the conceptual and aesthetic tools with which to develop their own artistic language, and to bring their own works from idea to realization.
Syllabus
Artistic Practice
Artistic Practice
Fall 2023
Thur, 1400-1715
Programs: Academy Year, BA in Artistic Practice and Society, Study Abroad
Concentration: Artistic Practice
Module: Artistic Practice
Level: Advanced
Day/Time: Thur, 1400-1715
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Instructor: Angela Anderson
“It matters what matters we use to think other matters with; it matters what stories we tell to tell other stories with … It matters what stories make worlds, what worlds make stories.” Donna Haraway, from Staying with the Trouble: Making Kin in the Chthulucene
In the face of the multiple human-induced social and ecological crises unfolding across the globe, who is telling what story? How is the story being told, and to whom? These critical questions will frame and guide this theory and practice-based course which will engage with historical and contemporary positions in queer (eco)feminist moving image production in the expanded field between art and cinema. Starting from the assumption that there is an intimate connection between audiovisual media, the production of subjectivity, and the apprehension of the world, how can creative aesthetic practices foster inter-species and inter-material solidarity? How can they proactively intervene in monological narratives which reproduce destructive patriarchal value systems based on competition, hierarchy and exploitation? Through close readings of texts situated in film and media, gender, decolonial, postcolonial and indigenous studies, as well as film screenings, artist talks, and exhibition visits, students will be introduced to a wide range of queer (eco)feminist voices and artistic strategies. Through exercises in listening, writing and filming, students will develop their own filmic projects over the course of the semester. While experience in working with audio-visual media is helpful for this course, it is not a requirement.
Syllabus
Concentration: Artistic Practice
Module: Artistic Practice
FA294 Queering the Capitalocene: (Eco-)feminist Film and Video Art for Earthly Survival
Fall 2023Level: Advanced
Day/Time: Thur, 1400-1715
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Instructor: Angela Anderson
“It matters what matters we use to think other matters with; it matters what stories we tell to tell other stories with … It matters what stories make worlds, what worlds make stories.” Donna Haraway, from Staying with the Trouble: Making Kin in the Chthulucene
In the face of the multiple human-induced social and ecological crises unfolding across the globe, who is telling what story? How is the story being told, and to whom? These critical questions will frame and guide this theory and practice-based course which will engage with historical and contemporary positions in queer (eco)feminist moving image production in the expanded field between art and cinema. Starting from the assumption that there is an intimate connection between audiovisual media, the production of subjectivity, and the apprehension of the world, how can creative aesthetic practices foster inter-species and inter-material solidarity? How can they proactively intervene in monological narratives which reproduce destructive patriarchal value systems based on competition, hierarchy and exploitation? Through close readings of texts situated in film and media, gender, decolonial, postcolonial and indigenous studies, as well as film screenings, artist talks, and exhibition visits, students will be introduced to a wide range of queer (eco)feminist voices and artistic strategies. Through exercises in listening, writing and filming, students will develop their own filmic projects over the course of the semester. While experience in working with audio-visual media is helpful for this course, it is not a requirement.
Syllabus
Artistic Practice
Artistic Practice
Fall 2023
Mon, 0930-1245
Programs: Academy Year, BA in Artistic Practice and Society, Study Abroad
Concentration: Artistic Practice
Module: Artistic Practice
Level: Advanced
Day/Time: Mon, 0930-1245
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Instructor: John Kleckner
This advanced studio course is designed to connect the gamut of materials and techniques in contemporary painting with the development of an individual aesthetic style. Weekly sessions will expose students to a range of traditional and experimental painting techniques with the aim of synchronizing materials and methods with content and style. From traditional linseed oil through to iridescent color-shifting acrylic additives, students will learn to choose, mix, and use paint more effectively, making the medium integral to the subject and content of their art.
Past topics of exploration include: making paint from pigments, customizing paint consistency, airbrushing, scumbling, marbling, masking, frottage, stamping, stencils, collage, cobalt driers, stand oil, Gamsol, malbutter, Maroger, Neo Megilp, Liquin, Ferrofluids, iridescent pigments, impasto paste, heavy gels, soft gels, retarder, Imprägnierung, gesso, Structura, Turpenoid, modeling (molding) paste, absorbent grounds, cold wax, Dammar varnish, UV varnish, polymer emulsion, matte medium, masking fluid, alkyd, casein, encaustic, enamel, vinyl Flashé, gouache, rabbit-skin glue, and inkjet printing on canvas. Material demonstrations will be augmented by readings, slideshows, gallery tours, and studio visits. The syllabus begins with directed assignments that demand greater independent initiative as the semester proceeds. Students are expected to have prior painting experience, a willingness to experiment, and be highly motivated to make and discuss art. Class size is limited to ensure each student has adequate studio space and time with the professor for individual feedback and support. Evaluations and critiques occur at midterm and at the end of the term. The semester culminates in the “Open Studios” exhibition at the BCB Factory and a printed publication of student artworks. Studio work is the priority, this course requires a significant investment of time outside of class sessions. Prospective students should email inquiries to the professor directly.
Syllabus
Concentration: Artistic Practice
Module: Artistic Practice
FA302 Advanced Painting: Oil Paint & After
Fall 2023Level: Advanced
Day/Time: Mon, 0930-1245
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Instructor: John Kleckner
This advanced studio course is designed to connect the gamut of materials and techniques in contemporary painting with the development of an individual aesthetic style. Weekly sessions will expose students to a range of traditional and experimental painting techniques with the aim of synchronizing materials and methods with content and style. From traditional linseed oil through to iridescent color-shifting acrylic additives, students will learn to choose, mix, and use paint more effectively, making the medium integral to the subject and content of their art.
Past topics of exploration include: making paint from pigments, customizing paint consistency, airbrushing, scumbling, marbling, masking, frottage, stamping, stencils, collage, cobalt driers, stand oil, Gamsol, malbutter, Maroger, Neo Megilp, Liquin, Ferrofluids, iridescent pigments, impasto paste, heavy gels, soft gels, retarder, Imprägnierung, gesso, Structura, Turpenoid, modeling (molding) paste, absorbent grounds, cold wax, Dammar varnish, UV varnish, polymer emulsion, matte medium, masking fluid, alkyd, casein, encaustic, enamel, vinyl Flashé, gouache, rabbit-skin glue, and inkjet printing on canvas. Material demonstrations will be augmented by readings, slideshows, gallery tours, and studio visits. The syllabus begins with directed assignments that demand greater independent initiative as the semester proceeds. Students are expected to have prior painting experience, a willingness to experiment, and be highly motivated to make and discuss art. Class size is limited to ensure each student has adequate studio space and time with the professor for individual feedback and support. Evaluations and critiques occur at midterm and at the end of the term. The semester culminates in the “Open Studios” exhibition at the BCB Factory and a printed publication of student artworks. Studio work is the priority, this course requires a significant investment of time outside of class sessions. Prospective students should email inquiries to the professor directly.
Syllabus
Programs: Academy Year, BA in Artistic Practice and Society, Study Abroad
Concentration: Artistic Practice
Module: Artistic Practice
Level: Advanced
Day/Time: Mon, 1400-1715
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Instructor: Carla Åhlander
This course combines photo analysis and practical photo work. We develop our awareness of what constitutes a narrative, and consider how the meaning of a photograph is created. In addition to producing their own photo series, the participants will become skilled at looking at, interpreting and talking about photographs. We will deal with issues such as subjectivity and objectivity, private and public, as well as technical issues like light situations. The workshop will include collaborations between students. Together we will explore a variety of aesthetic, practical and conceptual issues, asking questions like "What is my attitude to the subject-matter?" or “Where does this narrative begin or end?"
Syllabus
Concentration: Artistic Practice
Module: Artistic Practice
FA308 Finding the Stories
Fall 2023Level: Advanced
Day/Time: Mon, 1400-1715
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Instructor: Carla Åhlander
This course combines photo analysis and practical photo work. We develop our awareness of what constitutes a narrative, and consider how the meaning of a photograph is created. In addition to producing their own photo series, the participants will become skilled at looking at, interpreting and talking about photographs. We will deal with issues such as subjectivity and objectivity, private and public, as well as technical issues like light situations. The workshop will include collaborations between students. Together we will explore a variety of aesthetic, practical and conceptual issues, asking questions like "What is my attitude to the subject-matter?" or “Where does this narrative begin or end?"
Syllabus
Artistic Practice
Art History, Culture and Society
Fall 2023
Mon & Wed, 1730-1900; Mon, 1930-2200
Programs: Academy Year, BA in Artistic Practice and Society, Study Abroad
Concentration: Artistic Practice
Module: Art History, Culture and Society
Level: Foundational
Day/Time: Mon & Wed, 1730-1900; Mon, 1930-2200
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Instructor: Matthias Hurst
Are we alone in the universe? Do other forms of (sentient) life exist beyond our home planet? Will there ever be an encounter between us and them? And will we be able to communicate? Film not only asks these dramatic questions so far unresolved by science, but has “answered” them many, many times, and in a wide variety of striking ways. Film history can be traced through the portrayal of the figure of the "alien," the creature from another planet, whether appearing as a lone entity or a massed horde. The alien crops up in the earliest manifestations of film, and features in its most popular iterations, whether as external or (quite literally) internal menace. Some explorations of the “sentient life beyond earth” story mark an absence where the alien might be expected to appear, hinting at an unknowable otherness, or even a nothingness onto which human obsession is projected, or by which human conflict is evaded. We ask about the cultural, psychological and political significance of these portrayals, as well as the technical and aesthetic transformation of film through the figure of the alien. Our voyage takes in early examples as well as classics by Nicolas Roeg, Steven Spielberg, Ridley Scott, and more recently, Neill Blomkamp, Jonathan Glazer, Denis Villeneuve, and Jordan Peele.
Syllabus
Concentration: Artistic Practice
Module: Art History, Culture and Society
FM229 Not of this World: Aliens in Film
Fall 2023Level: Foundational
Day/Time: Mon & Wed, 1730-1900; Mon, 1930-2200
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Instructor: Matthias Hurst
Are we alone in the universe? Do other forms of (sentient) life exist beyond our home planet? Will there ever be an encounter between us and them? And will we be able to communicate? Film not only asks these dramatic questions so far unresolved by science, but has “answered” them many, many times, and in a wide variety of striking ways. Film history can be traced through the portrayal of the figure of the "alien," the creature from another planet, whether appearing as a lone entity or a massed horde. The alien crops up in the earliest manifestations of film, and features in its most popular iterations, whether as external or (quite literally) internal menace. Some explorations of the “sentient life beyond earth” story mark an absence where the alien might be expected to appear, hinting at an unknowable otherness, or even a nothingness onto which human obsession is projected, or by which human conflict is evaded. We ask about the cultural, psychological and political significance of these portrayals, as well as the technical and aesthetic transformation of film through the figure of the alien. Our voyage takes in early examples as well as classics by Nicolas Roeg, Steven Spielberg, Ridley Scott, and more recently, Neill Blomkamp, Jonathan Glazer, Denis Villeneuve, and Jordan Peele.
Syllabus
Artistic Practice
Theory, History, Art Forms
Fall 2023
Fri, 1545-1900; Thur, 1930-2200
Programs: Academy Year, BA in Artistic Practice and Society, Study Abroad
Concentration: Artistic Practice
Module: Theory, History, Art Forms
Level: Advanced
Day/Time: Fri, 1545-1900; Thur, 1930-2200
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Instructor: Matthias Hurst
Ingmar Bergman (1918 – 2007) was one of the world's most renowned and influential film directors, a true film auteur with his own vision of humanity and unique voice in the sphere of international cinema. His films deal with existential dilemmas of the human condition: the meaning of life, love and passion, the pursuit of happiness, the experience of suffering and disgrace, as well as questions of guilt and responsibility, and of the position of the artist in society. He relentlessly dissects our beliefs and social conventions with psychological precision and sometimes excruciating emotional insight. The visual effects he achieves are by turns stunning and beautiful, depressing and disturbing. We discuss the philosophical dimensions of Bergman’s work, as well as the specific features of his aesthetic style.
Syllabus
Concentration: Artistic Practice
Module: Theory, History, Art Forms
FM325 Through a Glass Darkly: The Films of Ingmar Bergman
Fall 2023Level: Advanced
Day/Time: Fri, 1545-1900; Thur, 1930-2200
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Instructor: Matthias Hurst
Ingmar Bergman (1918 – 2007) was one of the world's most renowned and influential film directors, a true film auteur with his own vision of humanity and unique voice in the sphere of international cinema. His films deal with existential dilemmas of the human condition: the meaning of life, love and passion, the pursuit of happiness, the experience of suffering and disgrace, as well as questions of guilt and responsibility, and of the position of the artist in society. He relentlessly dissects our beliefs and social conventions with psychological precision and sometimes excruciating emotional insight. The visual effects he achieves are by turns stunning and beautiful, depressing and disturbing. We discuss the philosophical dimensions of Bergman’s work, as well as the specific features of his aesthetic style.
Syllabus
Programs: Academy Year, BA in Artistic Practice and Society, Study Abroad
Concentration: Artistic Practice
Module: Artistic Practice
Level: Foundational
Day/Time: Tue, 1545-1900
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Instructor: Benjamin Hochman
Berlin’s musical life presents an embarrassment of riches- where to begin? This course helps you chart a path through Berlin’s endlessly fascinating musical offerings, from chamber music to symphonic music and opera, covering a wide range of musical styles from the last three hundred years. We will make field trips to attend concerts, masterclasses, and open rehearsals throughout the city. We will also explore a range of musical performances in digital format, from live broadcasts to historical recordings. Choice of events to attend, in person or virtually, will depend on scheduling and the availability of free or low-cost tickets. Venues may include the Hans Eisler School of Music, the University of the Arts, the Barenboim-Said Akademie, the Berlin Philharmonie, Berlin Konzerthaus, and other venues. We will prepare for each event by reading a variety of texts (musicological, historical, critical) and listening to recordings. Writing requirements will include short weekly assignments as well as two longer assignments such as a concert review or a response to one of the musical events we attend. No prior musical knowledge is required for this course: music-lovers and musicians of all levels are equally welcome.
Syllabus
Concentration: Artistic Practice
Module: Artistic Practice
MU171 Berlin: City of Music
Fall 2023Level: Foundational
Day/Time: Tue, 1545-1900
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Instructor: Benjamin Hochman
Berlin’s musical life presents an embarrassment of riches- where to begin? This course helps you chart a path through Berlin’s endlessly fascinating musical offerings, from chamber music to symphonic music and opera, covering a wide range of musical styles from the last three hundred years. We will make field trips to attend concerts, masterclasses, and open rehearsals throughout the city. We will also explore a range of musical performances in digital format, from live broadcasts to historical recordings. Choice of events to attend, in person or virtually, will depend on scheduling and the availability of free or low-cost tickets. Venues may include the Hans Eisler School of Music, the University of the Arts, the Barenboim-Said Akademie, the Berlin Philharmonie, Berlin Konzerthaus, and other venues. We will prepare for each event by reading a variety of texts (musicological, historical, critical) and listening to recordings. Writing requirements will include short weekly assignments as well as two longer assignments such as a concert review or a response to one of the musical events we attend. No prior musical knowledge is required for this course: music-lovers and musicians of all levels are equally welcome.
Syllabus
Artistic Practice
Art, Science and Ecology
Fall 2023
Mon, 1400-1715
Programs: Academy Year, BA in Artistic Practice and Society, Study Abroad
Concentration: Artistic Practice
Module: Art, Science and Ecology
Level: Foundational
Day/Time: Mon, 1400-1715
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Instructor: Antonia von Schöning
The modern western cultural tradition long made a distinction between nature and
culture, between the living organic being and the technical artefact. Under the title “new materialism,” an interdisciplinary and heterogenous constellation
of theories and methodologies has emerged in the past twenty years, opposing
anthropocentric world views and dualisms such as active subject/passive object or
nature/culture. Offering an alternative perspective, Donna Haraway, Rosi Braidotti, Manuel DeLanda, Jane Bennett and others, often with reference to the works of philosopher Gilles Deleuze, argue for an ontological re-conceptualization of the material world, to which they attribute an agency of its own. They acknowledge and study the companionship of human and non-human (biological or technical) beings in complex ecologies. In this seminar, we will become familiar with this new materialist thinking and the inspiration it has taken from feminist, postcolonial, and ecological approaches, through the discussion of key positions, concepts, and methodologies. We will study new materialism’s links to and differences from the “old” materialism as well as its relationship to posthumanism and the Anthropocene. One aim of the seminar is to critically investigate the potential of new materialism for art theory and artistic practice.
Syllabus
Concentration: Artistic Practice
Module: Art, Science and Ecology
SC225 New Materialism – An Introduction
Fall 2023Level: Foundational
Day/Time: Mon, 1400-1715
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Instructor: Antonia von Schöning
The modern western cultural tradition long made a distinction between nature and
culture, between the living organic being and the technical artefact. Under the title “new materialism,” an interdisciplinary and heterogenous constellation
of theories and methodologies has emerged in the past twenty years, opposing
anthropocentric world views and dualisms such as active subject/passive object or
nature/culture. Offering an alternative perspective, Donna Haraway, Rosi Braidotti, Manuel DeLanda, Jane Bennett and others, often with reference to the works of philosopher Gilles Deleuze, argue for an ontological re-conceptualization of the material world, to which they attribute an agency of its own. They acknowledge and study the companionship of human and non-human (biological or technical) beings in complex ecologies. In this seminar, we will become familiar with this new materialist thinking and the inspiration it has taken from feminist, postcolonial, and ecological approaches, through the discussion of key positions, concepts, and methodologies. We will study new materialism’s links to and differences from the “old” materialism as well as its relationship to posthumanism and the Anthropocene. One aim of the seminar is to critically investigate the potential of new materialism for art theory and artistic practice.
Syllabus
Artistic Practice
Artistic Practice
Fall 2023
Thur, 1545-1900
Programs: Academy Year, BA in Artistic Practice and Society, Study Abroad
Concentration: Artistic Practice
Module: Artistic Practice
Level: Foundational
Day/Time: Thur, 1545-1900
Credits: Credits: 8ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Instructor: Julia Hart
No female playwright has so strongly influenced the contemporary theatre in Germany as the Austrian Nobel Laureate Elfriede Jelinek. In the fall of 2017, she was awarded the prestigious Faust prize for her relentless, searing observations and analysis of social phenomena. She focuses on three targets in her playwriting: capitalist consumer society, the remnants of Austria’s fascist past in public and private life, and the systematic exploitation and oppression of women in a capitalist-patriarchal society. Her work is highly controversial. How has Elfriede Jelinek’s writing affected theatre-making in Germany? How can her writing be considered postdramatic? Theatre scholar Karen Jürs-Mundby writes that Jelinek and other postdramatic playwrights “produce what could be called ‘open’ or ‘writerly’ texts for performance, in the sense that they require the spectators to become active co-writers of the performance text. The spectators are no longer just filling in the predictable gaps in a dramatic narrative but are asked to become active witnesses who reflect on their own meaning-making.” Language is not necessarily the speech of characters—if there are definable characters at all! In this seminar, we will read, discuss, and rehearse scenes from the most recent plays of Elfriede Jelinek available in English translation as directors, actors, and dramaturges. This course will explore concrete methods of directing and acting when working with postdramatic theatre texts. We will also attend performances of Jelinek’s plays at theaters in Berlin and discuss the new documentary film “Elfriede Jelinek - Language Unleashed” directed by Claudia Müller.
Syllabus
Concentration: Artistic Practice
Module: Artistic Practice
TH133 Elfriede Jelinek: A Study of Postdramatic Playwriting, Directing, and Acting
Fall 2023Level: Foundational
Day/Time: Thur, 1545-1900
Credits: Credits: 8ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Instructor: Julia Hart
No female playwright has so strongly influenced the contemporary theatre in Germany as the Austrian Nobel Laureate Elfriede Jelinek. In the fall of 2017, she was awarded the prestigious Faust prize for her relentless, searing observations and analysis of social phenomena. She focuses on three targets in her playwriting: capitalist consumer society, the remnants of Austria’s fascist past in public and private life, and the systematic exploitation and oppression of women in a capitalist-patriarchal society. Her work is highly controversial. How has Elfriede Jelinek’s writing affected theatre-making in Germany? How can her writing be considered postdramatic? Theatre scholar Karen Jürs-Mundby writes that Jelinek and other postdramatic playwrights “produce what could be called ‘open’ or ‘writerly’ texts for performance, in the sense that they require the spectators to become active co-writers of the performance text. The spectators are no longer just filling in the predictable gaps in a dramatic narrative but are asked to become active witnesses who reflect on their own meaning-making.” Language is not necessarily the speech of characters—if there are definable characters at all! In this seminar, we will read, discuss, and rehearse scenes from the most recent plays of Elfriede Jelinek available in English translation as directors, actors, and dramaturges. This course will explore concrete methods of directing and acting when working with postdramatic theatre texts. We will also attend performances of Jelinek’s plays at theaters in Berlin and discuss the new documentary film “Elfriede Jelinek - Language Unleashed” directed by Claudia Müller.
Syllabus
Artistic Practice
Artistic Practice
Fall 2023
Wed, 1400-1715
Programs: Academy Year, BA in Artistic Practice and Society, Study Abroad
Concentration: Artistic Practice
Module: Artistic Practice
Level: Foundational
Day/Time: Wed, 1400-1715
Credits:
Credits 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Jeremiah Day
This course will offer participants the basis to experience performance as a mode of address, a tool of research, a historical field and a personal practice. The course gears towards practical experimentation (making and doing) with historic methods that can lead to new results of our own. From the start we will work together in the dance studio, anchoring the course in methods that come from “new dance,” in particular Simone Forti’s Logomotion speech & movement improvisation form. This core will enable us to consider historical paradigms of drama as well as what Happennings artist Allan Kaprow called “non-theatrical performance” and the way time-based strategies have developed so strongly in the visual arts. The course will introduce an embodied approach subject matter, and we’ll reach out to the city around us, with a Berlin map in one hand and the work of Hannah Arendt in the other, offering insights into local history with her unique method of thinking, based on “people, not concepts.” This course is open to those interested in creating a performance for the first time as well offering new tools for developing artists of all genres.
Concentration: Artistic Practice
Module: Artistic Practice
TH210 Composition in Real-Time: Introduction to the Performing Arts
Fall 2023Level: Foundational
Day/Time: Wed, 1400-1715
Credits:
Credits 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Jeremiah Day
This course will offer participants the basis to experience performance as a mode of address, a tool of research, a historical field and a personal practice. The course gears towards practical experimentation (making and doing) with historic methods that can lead to new results of our own. From the start we will work together in the dance studio, anchoring the course in methods that come from “new dance,” in particular Simone Forti’s Logomotion speech & movement improvisation form. This core will enable us to consider historical paradigms of drama as well as what Happennings artist Allan Kaprow called “non-theatrical performance” and the way time-based strategies have developed so strongly in the visual arts. The course will introduce an embodied approach subject matter, and we’ll reach out to the city around us, with a Berlin map in one hand and the work of Hannah Arendt in the other, offering insights into local history with her unique method of thinking, based on “people, not concepts.” This course is open to those interested in creating a performance for the first time as well offering new tools for developing artists of all genres.
Artistic Practice
Artistic Practice
Fall 2023
Tue, 1730-2045
Programs: Academy Year, BA in Artistic Practice and Society, Study Abroad
Concentration: Artistic Practice
Module: Artistic Practice
Level: Advanced
Day/Time: Tue, 1730-2045
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Nina Tecklenburg
How does performance art and theater relate to digital culture? Traditionally understood as live embodied practice and communal encounter, theater’s relationship to digitality has been described as complex, challenging, even subversive. This course investigates various intersections of the performing arts and digital culture in a global collaboration to rethink theater in the digital era: students will create performances across cultures and geographic distances and explore new theatrical formats such as immersive performance, VR/AR-experiences, social media theater, or experiments with AI systems. Taught locally at BCB, we will reserve some of our class time for synchronous collaboration with students from our parallel classes in Johannesburg (South Africa), New York/Annandale (US), Bogotá (Colombia), Vienna (Austria), and London (UK). While embracing theatrical experiments with digital technology we will bring a critical lens to the study of digital culture and its inherent biases, politics of accessibility, and data surveillance.
Besides exercises and artistic reflections on class readings, each student will be able to choose one of six intensive skill-building workshops which will take place during four class sessions. Each workshop will be offered by an internationally renowned digital performance artist and centered around a specific practice such as techno-queer glitch performance, digital mapping, dramatic online theater, or multimedia performance. In addition, students of this course will be given the opportunity to apply for a one-week in-person student collaboration to create a performance at Universidad de Los Andes, Bogotá/Colombia in January 2024. This course is open to students from all disciplines. No previous experience in theater and performance is necessary.
This is an OSUN Network Collaborative Course taught in partnership with the following institutions: Bard College Annandale; Birkbeck, University of London; Central European University, Budapest/Vienna; Universidad de Los Andes, Bogotá; Witwatersrand University, Johannesburg.
Syllabus
Concentration: Artistic Practice
Module: Artistic Practice
TH261 Performance and Digital Culture. An International Student Collaboration
Fall 2023Level: Advanced
Day/Time: Tue, 1730-2045
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Nina Tecklenburg
How does performance art and theater relate to digital culture? Traditionally understood as live embodied practice and communal encounter, theater’s relationship to digitality has been described as complex, challenging, even subversive. This course investigates various intersections of the performing arts and digital culture in a global collaboration to rethink theater in the digital era: students will create performances across cultures and geographic distances and explore new theatrical formats such as immersive performance, VR/AR-experiences, social media theater, or experiments with AI systems. Taught locally at BCB, we will reserve some of our class time for synchronous collaboration with students from our parallel classes in Johannesburg (South Africa), New York/Annandale (US), Bogotá (Colombia), Vienna (Austria), and London (UK). While embracing theatrical experiments with digital technology we will bring a critical lens to the study of digital culture and its inherent biases, politics of accessibility, and data surveillance.
Besides exercises and artistic reflections on class readings, each student will be able to choose one of six intensive skill-building workshops which will take place during four class sessions. Each workshop will be offered by an internationally renowned digital performance artist and centered around a specific practice such as techno-queer glitch performance, digital mapping, dramatic online theater, or multimedia performance. In addition, students of this course will be given the opportunity to apply for a one-week in-person student collaboration to create a performance at Universidad de Los Andes, Bogotá/Colombia in January 2024. This course is open to students from all disciplines. No previous experience in theater and performance is necessary.
This is an OSUN Network Collaborative Course taught in partnership with the following institutions: Bard College Annandale; Birkbeck, University of London; Central European University, Budapest/Vienna; Universidad de Los Andes, Bogotá; Witwatersrand University, Johannesburg.
Syllabus
Core
Greek Civilization
Fall 2023
Tue & Thur, 1400-1530
Programs: Academy Year, BA in Artistic Practice and Society, BA in Economics, Politics, and Social Thought, BA in Humanities, the Arts, and Social Thought, Core
Concentration: Core
Module: Greek Civilization
Day/Time: Tue & Thur, 1400-1530
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Ewa Atanassow, Jeffrey Champlin, Tracy Colony, David Hayes, Hans Stauffacher, Giulia Clabassi
Bard College Berlin's core curriculum begins with a semester-long engagement with Plato’s Republic in dialogue with the main works and movements that shaped its cultural and intellectual context. The Republic offers a unique point of entry into the epochal philosophical, political, and literary achievements of fifth and fourth-century Athens. Through its depiction of Socrates in conversation, it draws us into a dialogue about ethical, political, aesthetic, and epistemic questions that are fundamental to human life. Rather than a series of separate treatises, the Republic addresses its themes as the subject of a dynamic and open investigation that transcends disciplinary boundaries as we have come to conceive them. And while it may be said to contain a social contract theory, a theory of psychology, a theology, a critique of mimetic art, a theory of education, and a typology of political regimes, it is reducible to none of these. In its aspiration and scope, the Republic offers an illuminating starting point for the endeavour of liberal education. Moreover, as an exemplar of open and critical inquiry, both in Plato’s time and beyond, the figure of Socrates is a vital resource for our own engagements with the contemporary world.
In this course, we will be particularly attentive to the dialogic character of Plato’s writing in its exchanges with other authors, genres and modes of thought. In the first week we read Plato’s Apology of Socrates as an introduction to the figure of Socrates. We will then read the Near Eastern works; The Epic of Gilgamesh and the poetry of Enheduana which anticipate many of the themes we will encounter throughout the course. We will also read Euripides’ The Bacchae and Aristophanes’ Assemblywomen and the lyric poetry of Sappho to trace the important dialogues that the Republic opens with tragedy, comedy and lyric poetry. Attending to the interlocutors with which the Republic is engaged, we will strive to better understand and evaluate its own poetics and arguments.
Syllabus
Concentration: Core
Module: Greek Civilization
IS101 Plato’s Republic and Its Interlocutors
Fall 2023Day/Time: Tue & Thur, 1400-1530
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Ewa Atanassow, Jeffrey Champlin, Tracy Colony, David Hayes, Hans Stauffacher, Giulia Clabassi
Bard College Berlin's core curriculum begins with a semester-long engagement with Plato’s Republic in dialogue with the main works and movements that shaped its cultural and intellectual context. The Republic offers a unique point of entry into the epochal philosophical, political, and literary achievements of fifth and fourth-century Athens. Through its depiction of Socrates in conversation, it draws us into a dialogue about ethical, political, aesthetic, and epistemic questions that are fundamental to human life. Rather than a series of separate treatises, the Republic addresses its themes as the subject of a dynamic and open investigation that transcends disciplinary boundaries as we have come to conceive them. And while it may be said to contain a social contract theory, a theory of psychology, a theology, a critique of mimetic art, a theory of education, and a typology of political regimes, it is reducible to none of these. In its aspiration and scope, the Republic offers an illuminating starting point for the endeavour of liberal education. Moreover, as an exemplar of open and critical inquiry, both in Plato’s time and beyond, the figure of Socrates is a vital resource for our own engagements with the contemporary world.
In this course, we will be particularly attentive to the dialogic character of Plato’s writing in its exchanges with other authors, genres and modes of thought. In the first week we read Plato’s Apology of Socrates as an introduction to the figure of Socrates. We will then read the Near Eastern works; The Epic of Gilgamesh and the poetry of Enheduana which anticipate many of the themes we will encounter throughout the course. We will also read Euripides’ The Bacchae and Aristophanes’ Assemblywomen and the lyric poetry of Sappho to trace the important dialogues that the Republic opens with tragedy, comedy and lyric poetry. Attending to the interlocutors with which the Republic is engaged, we will strive to better understand and evaluate its own poetics and arguments.
Syllabus
Programs: BA in Artistic Practice and Society, BA in Economics, Politics, and Social Thought, BA in Humanities, the Arts, and Social Thought, Core
Concentration: Core
Module: Renaissance Art and Thought
Day/Time: Tue & Thur, 1045-1215
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Geoff Lehman, Katalin Makkai, Clio Nicastro, Laura Scuriatti, Anastassia Kostrioukova
In this course we examine the visual and intellectual culture of Renaissance Florence. A sustained engagement with a number of principal monuments in Florentine painting, sculpture, and architecture provides the basis for a consideration of key values within the development of Renaissance art that also shape, more broadly, the thought, cultural practices, and everyday experiences of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The Renaissance could be characterized as an historical period in which the visual arts played the leading role in the culture as a whole. Thus the focus on works of visual art, in a dialogue with literary, philosophical, and political texts of the period, opens a consideration of trans-disciplinary problems such as the emergence of new models of subjectivity and objectivity, the relationship between religious and secular experiences, the framing of early modern political thought, and the origins of the scientific method. The course is structured around four principal topics, each a defining value for the visual arts between the thirteenth and the sixteenth centuries that is also central to the development of Renaissance thought: self-reflexivity, perspective, harmony and grace, humanism. The direct experience, evaluation, and interpretation of individual works of art are a crucial part of the course, and with this in mind there will be several visits to Berlin museums – specifically, the Gemäldegalerie and the Bode Museum, with their extensive Renaissance collections – to encounter works of art firsthand.
Syllabus
Concentration: Core
Module: Renaissance Art and Thought
IS102 Renaissance Florence
Fall 2023Day/Time: Tue & Thur, 1045-1215
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Geoff Lehman, Katalin Makkai, Clio Nicastro, Laura Scuriatti, Anastassia Kostrioukova
In this course we examine the visual and intellectual culture of Renaissance Florence. A sustained engagement with a number of principal monuments in Florentine painting, sculpture, and architecture provides the basis for a consideration of key values within the development of Renaissance art that also shape, more broadly, the thought, cultural practices, and everyday experiences of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The Renaissance could be characterized as an historical period in which the visual arts played the leading role in the culture as a whole. Thus the focus on works of visual art, in a dialogue with literary, philosophical, and political texts of the period, opens a consideration of trans-disciplinary problems such as the emergence of new models of subjectivity and objectivity, the relationship between religious and secular experiences, the framing of early modern political thought, and the origins of the scientific method. The course is structured around four principal topics, each a defining value for the visual arts between the thirteenth and the sixteenth centuries that is also central to the development of Renaissance thought: self-reflexivity, perspective, harmony and grace, humanism. The direct experience, evaluation, and interpretation of individual works of art are a crucial part of the course, and with this in mind there will be several visits to Berlin museums – specifically, the Gemäldegalerie and the Bode Museum, with their extensive Renaissance collections – to encounter works of art firsthand.
Syllabus
Programs: BA in Artistic Practice and Society, BA in Economics, Politics, and Social Thought, BA in Humanities, the Arts, and Social Thought, Core
Concentration: Core
Module: Senior Core Colloquium
Day/Time: Mon, 0900-1215
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Ulrike Wagner, Nassim Abi Ghanem, Nina Tecklenburg (for students pursuing a Creative Component)
This seminar is a training in the methods of academic research. Focusing on representative contemporary research in the humanities and the social sciences, it supports students in proceeding with their own individual research projects by focusing on the essential elements of independent scholarly work: the choice of a topic or object of study; the outline of the main components of an article or scholarly paper; finding, gathering, collating and interpreting the sources needed for the project; correct citation, attribution, and bibliographical documentation, and lastly, the effective presentation of the final work in structure and style, as well as peer review and constructive feedback. Including the participation of thesis supervisors and other faculty members, this course meets in fall term and in spring term.
Syllabi: Tecklenburg, Abi Ghanem, Wagner
Concentration: Core
Module: Senior Core Colloquium
IS123 Academic Research in the Social Sciences
Fall 2023Day/Time: Mon, 0900-1215
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Ulrike Wagner, Nassim Abi Ghanem, Nina Tecklenburg (for students pursuing a Creative Component)
This seminar is a training in the methods of academic research. Focusing on representative contemporary research in the humanities and the social sciences, it supports students in proceeding with their own individual research projects by focusing on the essential elements of independent scholarly work: the choice of a topic or object of study; the outline of the main components of an article or scholarly paper; finding, gathering, collating and interpreting the sources needed for the project; correct citation, attribution, and bibliographical documentation, and lastly, the effective presentation of the final work in structure and style, as well as peer review and constructive feedback. Including the participation of thesis supervisors and other faculty members, this course meets in fall term and in spring term.
Syllabi: Tecklenburg, Abi Ghanem, Wagner
Core
Origins of Political Economy
Fall 2023
Wed & Fri, 1045-1215; Kai Koddenbrock's section: Wed, 1045-1215 & Thur, 0900-1030
Programs: BA in Artistic Practice and Society, BA in Economics, Politics, and Social Thought, BA in Humanities, the Arts, and Social Thought, Core
Concentration: Core
Module: Origins of Political Economy
Day/Time: Wed & Fri, 1045-1215; Kai Koddenbrock's section: Wed, 1045-1215 & Thur, 0900-1030
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Coordinators: Jeffrey Champlin, Kai Koddenbrock, Gale Raj-Reichert, Boris Vormann, Aysuda Köleman
This course explores the intellectual history of the contemporary disciplines of economics, political science and sociology, by examining the historical origins of the discourse and practice known as “political economy”: the means and processes by which societies and populations provide for their own survival and development. It offers an introduction to the reach and implications of this endeavor, its relationship to questions of law, sovereignty and political representation. It equally addresses changing state-market relationships and normative discourses about the best ways to organize societies as they echo in the liberal and critical traditions of Western political thought. In keeping with its attention to the formative history of modern categories and disciplines of knowledge, the course also addresses the ways in which changes in the (understanding of) political economy have led to disciplinary specializations and certain blind spots in linking development and underdevelopment, enlightenment and exclusion. It allows students to understand, draw upon and critique the historical formulation of contemporary problems and concerns such as the foundations of political freedom, the nature of markets, the sources and circulation of wealth, the social impact of inequality and racism, and the connection and differentiation between the economic and political spheres.
Syllabus
Concentration: Core
Module: Origins of Political Economy
IS303 Origins of Political Economy
Fall 2023Day/Time: Wed & Fri, 1045-1215; Kai Koddenbrock's section: Wed, 1045-1215 & Thur, 0900-1030
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Coordinators: Jeffrey Champlin, Kai Koddenbrock, Gale Raj-Reichert, Boris Vormann, Aysuda Köleman
This course explores the intellectual history of the contemporary disciplines of economics, political science and sociology, by examining the historical origins of the discourse and practice known as “political economy”: the means and processes by which societies and populations provide for their own survival and development. It offers an introduction to the reach and implications of this endeavor, its relationship to questions of law, sovereignty and political representation. It equally addresses changing state-market relationships and normative discourses about the best ways to organize societies as they echo in the liberal and critical traditions of Western political thought. In keeping with its attention to the formative history of modern categories and disciplines of knowledge, the course also addresses the ways in which changes in the (understanding of) political economy have led to disciplinary specializations and certain blind spots in linking development and underdevelopment, enlightenment and exclusion. It allows students to understand, draw upon and critique the historical formulation of contemporary problems and concerns such as the foundations of political freedom, the nature of markets, the sources and circulation of wealth, the social impact of inequality and racism, and the connection and differentiation between the economic and political spheres.
Syllabus
Programs: Academy Year, BA in Artistic Practice and Society, BA in Economics, Politics, and Social Thought, BA in Humanities, the Arts, and Social Thought, Electives, Study Abroad
Module: Elective
Day/Time: Tue & Thur, 0900-1030
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): E. Cameron Wilson
This course is for students who use English as a second or additional language, who want to strengthen their academic writing skills. We will read and discuss texts exploring linguistic issues from a variety of perspectives (e.g., scientific, social, philosophical). Students will develop their own academic voices in response to these texts through informal writing activities in and out of class. Formal writing assignments will increase in length and complexity over the course of the semester, culminating in researching, drafting, revising and editing a term paper on an issue of the student’s choice related to the intersection of language and culture.
Module: Elective
EL211 Academic Writing Seminar: Language & Culture
Fall 2023Day/Time: Tue & Thur, 0900-1030
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): E. Cameron Wilson
This course is for students who use English as a second or additional language, who want to strengthen their academic writing skills. We will read and discuss texts exploring linguistic issues from a variety of perspectives (e.g., scientific, social, philosophical). Students will develop their own academic voices in response to these texts through informal writing activities in and out of class. Formal writing assignments will increase in length and complexity over the course of the semester, culminating in researching, drafting, revising and editing a term paper on an issue of the student’s choice related to the intersection of language and culture.
Programs: Academy Year, BA in Artistic Practice and Society, BA in Economics, Politics, and Social Thought, BA in Humanities, the Arts, and Social Thought, Electives, Study Abroad
Module: Elective
Day/Time: Mon, 1545-1900
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS Credits, 4 U.S. Credits
Professor(s): Joon Park
This studio course covers the broad ceramics-making techniques at the foundational level. It explores a variety of ceramic materials and methods for the production of functional ware and ceramic art objects. Students learn basic skills of clay preparation, clay recycling, wheel-throwing, hand-building, slip casting, glazing, and applying decorations. The selected works will be glazed and fired in collaboration with the Ceramic Kingdom in Neukoelln.
.
Please note there is a fee of €50 for participation in this course to cover material expenses and firing processes. For registration, please send a brief statement of interest to Joon Park ([email protected]).
Syllabus
Module: Elective
FA107 Ceramics I (Group A)
Fall 2023Day/Time: Mon, 1545-1900
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS Credits, 4 U.S. Credits
Professor(s): Joon Park
This studio course covers the broad ceramics-making techniques at the foundational level. It explores a variety of ceramic materials and methods for the production of functional ware and ceramic art objects. Students learn basic skills of clay preparation, clay recycling, wheel-throwing, hand-building, slip casting, glazing, and applying decorations. The selected works will be glazed and fired in collaboration with the Ceramic Kingdom in Neukoelln.
.
Please note there is a fee of €50 for participation in this course to cover material expenses and firing processes. For registration, please send a brief statement of interest to Joon Park ([email protected]).
Syllabus
Programs: Academy Year, BA in Artistic Practice and Society, BA in Economics, Politics, and Social Thought, BA in Humanities, the Arts, and Social Thought, Electives, Study Abroad
Module: Elective
Day/Time: Fri, 1545-1900
Credits:
Credits: 8 ECTS Credits, 4 U.S. Credits
Professor(s): Joon Park
This studio course covers the broad ceramics-making techniques at the foundational level. It explores a variety of ceramic materials and methods for the production of functional ware and ceramic art objects. Students learn basic skills of clay preparation, clay recycling, wheel-throwing, hand-building, slip casting, glazing, and applying decorations. The selected works will be glazed and fired in collaboration with the Ceramic Kingdom in Neukoelln.
.
Please note there is a fee of €50 for participation in this course to cover material expenses and firing processes. For registration, please send a brief statement of interest to Joon Park ([email protected]).
Syllabus
Module: Elective
FA107 Ceramics I (Group B)
Fall 2023Day/Time: Fri, 1545-1900
Credits:
Credits: 8 ECTS Credits, 4 U.S. Credits
Professor(s): Joon Park
This studio course covers the broad ceramics-making techniques at the foundational level. It explores a variety of ceramic materials and methods for the production of functional ware and ceramic art objects. Students learn basic skills of clay preparation, clay recycling, wheel-throwing, hand-building, slip casting, glazing, and applying decorations. The selected works will be glazed and fired in collaboration with the Ceramic Kingdom in Neukoelln.
.
Please note there is a fee of €50 for participation in this course to cover material expenses and firing processes. For registration, please send a brief statement of interest to Joon Park ([email protected]).
Syllabus
Programs: Academy Year, BA in Artistic Practice and Society, BA in Economics, Politics, and Social Thought, BA in Humanities, the Arts, and Social Thought, Electives, Study Abroad
Module: Elective
Day/Time: Wed, 1000-1300
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS Credits, 4 U.S. Credits
Professor(s): Nadania Idriss
During the class that will run once a week on Wednesdays from 10:00-13:00, students will learn the 2000-year-old technique of making molds that are used to make glass objects. We will take students on a journey from the positive form to thinking about negative and hollow spaces. We will also teach students how to cut and polish glass so that each object will go from prototype to working model to finished object. A pop-up show at the end of the class will allow all of us to reflect on the process and show our sculptures to a wider audience. Mold-blowing is a technique of shaping glass by using negative forms made of plaster. The gaffer (main glassblower) prepares the molten glass and blows it into the mold. Participants will learn to assist the gaffer and have an interactive experience of the process. This workshop is geared for an experience of learning a new and exciting technique; so do not be discouraged if your piece is not successful. Join the class with lots of ideas and don't be afraid to try
Syllabus
Module: Elective
FA113 Introduction to Mold-Making and Mold-Blowing
Fall 2023Day/Time: Wed, 1000-1300
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS Credits, 4 U.S. Credits
Professor(s): Nadania Idriss
During the class that will run once a week on Wednesdays from 10:00-13:00, students will learn the 2000-year-old technique of making molds that are used to make glass objects. We will take students on a journey from the positive form to thinking about negative and hollow spaces. We will also teach students how to cut and polish glass so that each object will go from prototype to working model to finished object. A pop-up show at the end of the class will allow all of us to reflect on the process and show our sculptures to a wider audience. Mold-blowing is a technique of shaping glass by using negative forms made of plaster. The gaffer (main glassblower) prepares the molten glass and blows it into the mold. Participants will learn to assist the gaffer and have an interactive experience of the process. This workshop is geared for an experience of learning a new and exciting technique; so do not be discouraged if your piece is not successful. Join the class with lots of ideas and don't be afraid to try
Syllabus
Programs: Academy Year, BA in Artistic Practice and Society, BA in Economics, Politics, and Social Thought, BA in Humanities, the Arts, and Social Thought, Electives, Study Abroad
Module: Elective
Day/Time: Fri, 0930-1245
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS Credits, 4 U.S. Credits
Professor(s): Eva Burghardt
In addition to ongoing movement training as an essential foundation, the focus of this course will be on exploring the crossover of dance and visual arts, looking at dance and choreography outside of its usual context, the theater space. Drawing from contemporary dance and improvisation techniques, students will train their body as an “instrument,” deepening its awareness, sense of presence and musicality, practicing listening to oneself as well as the others. Starting from this inner awareness, we bring attention to our surroundings, making connections to other bodies, objects, space and architecture. Weather permitting, we will leave the dance floor and take our explorations out into the neighborhood to work site-specifically. How can we refresh our eyes and reshape experiences of known places with our present body? How can the experience of the surroundings inspire, inform and bring form to the dances within us or create relationships with the environment we live in? How does our body relate to forms, lines, textures, colors, sounds, or the history or memories of a place? How does it change our experience of a place as a dancer or spectator? Open score improvisations and tasks will be given to be explored individually and with the group. A final presentation, including sketches, experiments and scores created by students will be shown at the end of the semester. Throughout the course, we will look at and discuss works from artists who had a big impact in widening the understanding of dance and choreography, crossing the borders between dance and visual arts. From postmodern artists Trisha Brown, Simone Forti and Anna Halprin to contemporary artists such as Tino Sehgal, William Forsythe, Willi Dorner or Anne Imhoff.
Two off-site excursions to performances in Berlin, including discussions and a written reflection afterwards, will be an integral part of the course.
Syllabus
Module: Elective
FA156 Dance Lab: Body Space Image. Dance and Visual Arts
Fall 2023Day/Time: Fri, 0930-1245
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS Credits, 4 U.S. Credits
Professor(s): Eva Burghardt
In addition to ongoing movement training as an essential foundation, the focus of this course will be on exploring the crossover of dance and visual arts, looking at dance and choreography outside of its usual context, the theater space. Drawing from contemporary dance and improvisation techniques, students will train their body as an “instrument,” deepening its awareness, sense of presence and musicality, practicing listening to oneself as well as the others. Starting from this inner awareness, we bring attention to our surroundings, making connections to other bodies, objects, space and architecture. Weather permitting, we will leave the dance floor and take our explorations out into the neighborhood to work site-specifically. How can we refresh our eyes and reshape experiences of known places with our present body? How can the experience of the surroundings inspire, inform and bring form to the dances within us or create relationships with the environment we live in? How does our body relate to forms, lines, textures, colors, sounds, or the history or memories of a place? How does it change our experience of a place as a dancer or spectator? Open score improvisations and tasks will be given to be explored individually and with the group. A final presentation, including sketches, experiments and scores created by students will be shown at the end of the semester. Throughout the course, we will look at and discuss works from artists who had a big impact in widening the understanding of dance and choreography, crossing the borders between dance and visual arts. From postmodern artists Trisha Brown, Simone Forti and Anna Halprin to contemporary artists such as Tino Sehgal, William Forsythe, Willi Dorner or Anne Imhoff.
Two off-site excursions to performances in Berlin, including discussions and a written reflection afterwards, will be an integral part of the course.
Syllabus
Programs: Academy Year, BA in Artistic Practice and Society, BA in Economics, Politics, and Social Thought, BA in Humanities, the Arts, and Social Thought, Electives, Study Abroad
Module: Elective
Day/Time: Tue, 1545-1900
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS Credits, 4 U.S. Credits
Professor(s): Janina Schabig
This beginners’ introduction course teaches the foundations of video making. You will be introduced to professional video and audio equipment throughout the semester. In hands-on workshops you will learn all about your camera and how to use its manual settings, how to light a scene and record sound as well as the basics of editing in Adobe Premiere. We will explore different genres to examine a range of creative shooting styles and use what we examine as inspiration for assignments that we will work on individually as well as in small groups to create a body of work ranging from short video exercises to full productions. The goal of this course is to give you an understanding of the various creative choices within the art of making videos, and the technical knowledge to help realize your visions.
Syllabus
Module: Elective
FA188 The Art of Making Videos
Fall 2023Day/Time: Tue, 1545-1900
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS Credits, 4 U.S. Credits
Professor(s): Janina Schabig
This beginners’ introduction course teaches the foundations of video making. You will be introduced to professional video and audio equipment throughout the semester. In hands-on workshops you will learn all about your camera and how to use its manual settings, how to light a scene and record sound as well as the basics of editing in Adobe Premiere. We will explore different genres to examine a range of creative shooting styles and use what we examine as inspiration for assignments that we will work on individually as well as in small groups to create a body of work ranging from short video exercises to full productions. The goal of this course is to give you an understanding of the various creative choices within the art of making videos, and the technical knowledge to help realize your visions.
Syllabus
Programs: Academy Year, BA in Artistic Practice and Society, BA in Economics, Politics, and Social Thought, BA in Humanities, the Arts, and Social Thought, German Studies, Study Abroad
Module: German Language
Day/Time: Mon, Wed, & Fri, 0900-1030
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Manuel Gebhardt
Module: German Language
GM101 German Beginner A1 (Group A)
Fall 2023Day/Time: Mon, Wed, & Fri, 0900-1030
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Manuel Gebhardt
Programs: Academy Year, BA in Artistic Practice and Society, BA in Economics, Politics, and Social Thought, BA in Humanities, the Arts, and Social Thought, German Studies, Study Abroad
Module: German Language
Day/Time: Mon, Wed, & Fri, 0900-1030
Professor(s): Ursula Kohler
Syllabus
Module: German Language
GM101 German Beginner A1 (Group B)
Fall 2023Day/Time: Mon, Wed, & Fri, 0900-1030
Professor(s): Ursula Kohler
Syllabus
Programs: Academy Year, BA in Artistic Practice and Society, BA in Economics, Politics, and Social Thought, BA in Humanities, the Arts, and Social Thought, German Studies, Study Abroad
Module: German Language
Day/Time: Mon, Wed, & Fri, 1045-1215
Professor(s): Sebastian Brass
Module: German Language
GM101 German Beginner A1 (Group C)
Fall 2023Day/Time: Mon, Wed, & Fri, 1045-1215
Professor(s): Sebastian Brass
Programs: Academy Year, BA in Artistic Practice and Society, BA in Economics, Politics, and Social Thought, BA in Humanities, the Arts, and Social Thought, German Studies, Study Abroad
Module: German Language
Day/Time: Mon, Wed, & Fri, 1045-1215
Professor(s): Ursula Kohler
Syllabus
Module: German Language
GM101 German Beginner A1 (Group D)
Fall 2023Day/Time: Mon, Wed, & Fri, 1045-1215
Professor(s): Ursula Kohler
Syllabus
Programs: Academy Year, BA in Artistic Practice and Society, BA in Economics, Politics, and Social Thought, BA in Humanities, the Arts, and Social Thought, German Studies, Study Abroad
Module: German Language
Day/Time: Mon, Wed, & Fri, 1400-1530
Professor(s): Ariane Faber
Syllabus
Module: German Language
GM101 German Beginner A1 (Group E)
Fall 2023Day/Time: Mon, Wed, & Fri, 1400-1530
Professor(s): Ariane Faber
Syllabus
Programs: Academy Year, BA in Artistic Practice and Society, BA in Economics, Politics, and Social Thought, BA in Humanities, the Arts, and Social Thought, German Studies, Study Abroad
Module: German Language
Day/Time: Wed & Fri, 1730-1930
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Julia Gehring
Syllabus
Module: German Language
GM150 German Conversation
Fall 2023Day/Time: Wed & Fri, 1730-1930
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Julia Gehring
Syllabus
Programs: Academy Year, BA in Artistic Practice and Society, BA in Economics, Politics, and Social Thought, BA in Humanities, the Arts, and Social Thought, German Studies, Study Abroad
Module: German Language
Day/Time: Mon, Wed, & Fri, 0900-1030
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Aleksandra Kudriashova
Syllabus
Module: German Language
GM151 German Beginner A2 (Group A)
Fall 2023Day/Time: Mon, Wed, & Fri, 0900-1030
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Aleksandra Kudriashova
Syllabus
Programs: Academy Year, BA in Artistic Practice and Society, BA in Economics, Politics, and Social Thought, BA in Humanities, the Arts, and Social Thought, German Studies, Study Abroad
Module: German Language
Day/Time: Mon, Wed, & Fri, 1545-1715
Professor(s): Ariane Faber
Syllabus
Module: German Language
GM151 German Beginner A2 (Group B)
Fall 2023Day/Time: Mon, Wed, & Fri, 1545-1715
Professor(s): Ariane Faber
Syllabus
Programs: Academy Year, BA in Artistic Practice and Society, BA in Economics, Politics, and Social Thought, BA in Humanities, the Arts, and Social Thought, German Studies, Study Abroad
Module: German Language
Day/Time: Mon, Wed, Fri: 1045-1215
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Aleksandra Kudriashova
Syllabus
Module: German Language
GM151 German Beginner A2 (Group C)
Fall 2023Day/Time: Mon, Wed, Fri: 1045-1215
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Aleksandra Kudriashova
Syllabus
Programs: Academy Year, BA in Artistic Practice and Society, BA in Economics, Politics, and Social Thought, BA in Humanities, the Arts, and Social Thought, German Studies, Study Abroad
Module: German Language
Day/Time: Mon, Wed, & Fri, 0900-1030
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Sebastian Brass
Module: German Language
GM201 German Intermediate B1 (Group A)
Fall 2023Day/Time: Mon, Wed, & Fri, 0900-1030
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Sebastian Brass
Programs: Academy Year, BA in Artistic Practice and Society, BA in Economics, Politics, and Social Thought, BA in Humanities, the Arts, and Social Thought, German Studies, Study Abroad
Module: German Language
Day/Time: Mon, Wed, & Fri, 1045-1215
Professor(s): Christiane Bethke
Syllabus
Module: German Language
GM201 German Intermediate B1 (Group B)
Fall 2023Day/Time: Mon, Wed, & Fri, 1045-1215
Professor(s): Christiane Bethke
Syllabus
Programs: Academy Year, BA in Artistic Practice and Society, BA in Economics, Politics, and Social Thought, BA in Humanities, the Arts, and Social Thought, German Studies, Study Abroad
Module: German Language
Day/Time: Mon, Wed, & Fri, 1400-1530
Professor(s): Christiane Bethke
Syllabus
Module: German Language
GM201 German Intermediate B1 (Group C)
Fall 2023Day/Time: Mon, Wed, & Fri, 1400-1530
Professor(s): Christiane Bethke
Syllabus
Programs: Academy Year, BA in Artistic Practice and Society, BA in Economics, Politics, and Social Thought, BA in Humanities, the Arts, and Social Thought, German Studies, Study Abroad
Module: German Language
Day/Time: Mon, Wed, & Fri, 1545-1715
Professor(s): Julia Gehring
Syllabus
Module: German Language
GM201 German Intermediate B1 (Group D)
Fall 2023Day/Time: Mon, Wed, & Fri, 1545-1715
Professor(s): Julia Gehring
Syllabus
Programs: Academy Year, BA in Artistic Practice and Society, BA in Economics, Politics, and Social Thought, BA in Humanities, the Arts, and Social Thought, German Studies, Study Abroad
Module: German Language
Day/Time: Mon, Wed, & Fri, 0900-1030
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Ariane Friedländer
Syllabus
Module: German Language
GM251 German Intermediate B2
Fall 2023Day/Time: Mon, Wed, & Fri, 0900-1030
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Ariane Friedländer
Syllabus
Programs: Academy Year, BA in Artistic Practice and Society, BA in Economics, Politics, and Social Thought, BA in Humanities, the Arts, and Social Thought, German Studies, Study Abroad
Module: German Language
Day/Time: Tue & Thur, 1000-1215
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Ariane Friedländer
Students enrolled in this differentiated C-level German course will reach a proficiency level up to C2. Depending on the level and interest of the individual student, the topics covered in C1 will be extended and deepened with additional C2 level material. At the end of the course, students sit a graded exam to obtain a C1 or C2 qualification.
Syllabus
Module: German Language
GM352 German Advanced C1/C2
Fall 2023Day/Time: Tue & Thur, 1000-1215
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits
Professor(s): Ariane Friedländer
Students enrolled in this differentiated C-level German course will reach a proficiency level up to C2. Depending on the level and interest of the individual student, the topics covered in C1 will be extended and deepened with additional C2 level material. At the end of the course, students sit a graded exam to obtain a C1 or C2 qualification.
Syllabus
Elective
Fall 2023
Thur, 1400-1530
Programs: Academy Year, BA in Artistic Practice and Society, BA in Economics, Politics, and Social Thought, BA in Humanities, the Arts, and Social Thought, Certificate in Civic Engagement, Electives, Study Abroad
Module: Elective
Day/Time: Thur, 1400-1530
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits (in combination with an internship)
Professor(s): Agata Lisiak, Asli Vatansever
Fulfills OSUN Civic Engagement Certificate and OSUN Human Right Certificate requirements
Students enrolled in the Bard College Berlin Internship Program are required to complete the Berlin Internship Seminar, an interdisciplinary course designed to accompany the internship experience. We will meet on a weekly basis and discuss contemporary ways of living and working in Berlin and beyond: What do we mean when we talk about work? Do we need to love what we do? What renders work in/visible? How is work gendered and classed? How is work organized temporally and spatially and how does it, in turn, affect the city and its residents? What distinguishes the spaces in which we live and work today? Which new forms of work have recently emerged in Berlin? Which of them seem to thrive? How do Berlin’s art institutions and citizen-activist organizations operate? Besides in-class discussions, invited lectures, and off-campus visits, the seminar offers a platform for the exchange of observations, reflections, and comments on individual internships. Participation in this seminar depends on successful and timely application for the Internship Program.
Syllabus
Module: Elective
IS331 Berlin Internship Seminar: Working Cultures, Urban Cultures (Groups A&B)
Fall 2023Day/Time: Thur, 1400-1530
Credits: Credits: 8 ECTS, 4 U.S. credits (in combination with an internship)
Professor(s): Agata Lisiak, Asli Vatansever
Fulfills OSUN Civic Engagement Certificate and OSUN Human Right Certificate requirements
Students enrolled in the Bard College Berlin Internship Program are required to complete the Berlin Internship Seminar, an interdisciplinary course designed to accompany the internship experience. We will meet on a weekly basis and discuss contemporary ways of living and working in Berlin and beyond: What do we mean when we talk about work? Do we need to love what we do? What renders work in/visible? How is work gendered and classed? How is work organized temporally and spatially and how does it, in turn, affect the city and its residents? What distinguishes the spaces in which we live and work today? Which new forms of work have recently emerged in Berlin? Which of them seem to thrive? How do Berlin’s art institutions and citizen-activist organizations operate? Besides in-class discussions, invited lectures, and off-campus visits, the seminar offers a platform for the exchange of observations, reflections, and comments on individual internships. Participation in this seminar depends on successful and timely application for the Internship Program.
Syllabus
To view courses offered prior to Spring 2023, please visit the course archive.