Cooper Union

Art Exchange Across National Boundaries

The course focuses on the cultural and political geography of artistic production from the mid-20^th century to the present. We will engage with artworks, exhibitions, and publications as vehicles of cultural dialogue and tools of political propaganda and cultural imperialism. By studying the geopolitical trajectories of artistic practices and institutional networks, we will ask questions about why and how images and objects travel, and ponder the exchange of art and ideas in the field of global art and culture.

2 credits.

Course Code: HTA 314

Founded by inventor, industrialist and philanthropist Peter Cooper in 1859, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art offers education in art, architecture and engineering, as well as courses in the humanities and social sciences.
“My feelings, my desires, my hopes, embrace humanity throughout the world,” Peter Cooper proclaimed in a speech in 1853. He looked forward to a time when, “knowledge shall cover the earth as waters cover the great deep.”
From its beginnings, Cooper Union was a unique institution, dedicated to founder Peter Cooper's proposition that education is the key not only to personal prosperity but to civic virtue and harmony.
Peter Cooper wanted his graduates to acquire the technical mastery and entrepreneurial skills, enrich their intellects and spark their creativity, and develop a sense of social justice that would translate into action.