I have called this ‘The School of the South’ because in reality, our north is the South. There must not be north for us, except in opposition to our South. Therefore we now turn the map upside down, and then we have a true idea of our position, and not as the rest of the world wishes. The tip of America, from now on, insistently points to the South, our north.

Joaquín Torres-García, Universalismo Constructivo. Ed. Poseidón, Buenos Aires, 1941

This course is an introduction to the art of 20th and early 21st century Latin America. But what, and which Latin America? We question the production and representation of America, the Americas, and Latin America as a series of overlapping territories. We discuss modernity and modernization through the art production of the region in relation to key political, economic, and technological events, and moving through various art forms—from painting and photography to installation and performance. Following Torres-García, we examine what it means to produce art from the South as a critical and political position rather than a geographic constraint.

This course counts as elective credit for the Spanish minor.

Class Format:

For Fall 2021: During certain periods of the term, we will engage in large discussions about the course content in an in-person format; during other periods of the term, we will engage in activities where students collaborate in small-group activities via breakout sessions in Zoom