Art, Design and Society 1
VC 703 / Credits 4 / Wednesday's (2PM onwards) from August through November.

What is art and how has it changed over the centuries? What is design and what is its relationship
with art? How are the two connected with the social milieu in which they exist?
What are the changes that societies have undergone, and how have artists and designers
responded? These are some of the questions that are explored through the course.
A part of the course is conducted through invited talks; previous speakers include
Prof. M.P. Ranjan, Prof. Deepak Kannal, Anand Patwardhan, Vivek Monteiro, Gieve Patel,
Sudhir Patwardhan, Vinod Raina, K.P, Jayasankar, Anjali Monteiro.

Course Contents
Studies in Art History and the History of Design.
The Art and Craft Movement and Industrial Design
Schools of Modern Design: Bauhaus, Ulm, New Bauhaus, NID, IDC.
Critiques of Modernity.
Post-modernity, New Art History, Subaltern studies.
The responses of artists, designers and social activists to their environment.

Course Objectives
To understand the relevance of historical studies in art and design.
To inculcate an awareness of one's immediate environment.
To initiate an engagement with unfamiliar environments and social milieus.
To encourage reflection and dialogue on societal stances.
To understand self-reflexive and contemplative responses to the world at large.

Course Structure
The course is conducted on Wednesday's (2PM onwards) from August through November.
The course includes a set of talks, screenings and discussions on art, design and society.
Invited talks by art historians, artists, film-makers, designers, educationists, and social activists bring in diverse viewpoints.
Visits to museums, galleries and theatres help in understanding historical ideas and contemporary responses.

Lecture Schedule:

Date
Talk
19 July 2017
An Introduction to Art, Design and Society.
26 July 2017
Film screening: Pollock
2 August 2017
Film Screening: Naina Jogin
9 August 2017
Film Screening: Jai Bhim Comrade
11 August 2017
Film Screening: Dollar City
16 August 2017
Film Screening: Story of Stuff / Schooling the World
23 August 2017
Screening: Yuval Noah Harari: Techno-Religions
30 August 2017
Aspirational India: Studying Consumption at IIT Bombay
6 September 2017
Individual / Group Presentations
13 September 2017
Art, Design and "The Great Indian Middle Class"
16 September 2017
Field Trip 1
23 September 2017
Field Trip 2
4 October 2017
Field Trip 3: Museum / Gallery Visit
11 October 2017
Field Trip 4
18 October 2017
Invited Talk.
25 October 2017
Invited Talk.
1 November 2017
Invited Talk.
8 November 2017
Invited Talk.

Course Evaluation
In-semester evaluation is done largely on the basis of class participation, and attendance.
Group seminars related to concerns raised during the course start in September.
End-semester evaluation is on the basis of the seminar presentation and a written exam.

Select References
Books
Varma Pavan, The Great Indian Middle Class, Penguin, 2007
Khilnani Sunil, The Idea of India , Penguin, 2007
Wingler Hans, Bauhaus, MIT Press, 1976
Eames Charles, India Report, NID
Trivedi Kirti, Ed., Readings From Ulm, IDC
Vyas Kumar, Design and Environment, NID
Rao A.G., A Decade of Design, IDC, 1979
Amin, Bhadra, Chaterjee, Pandey, Subaltern Studies, Oxford, 1996
Sinari Ramakant, The Structure of Indian Thought, OUP, 1984
Journals and Magazines
Visible Language, RISD
MARG
ART INDIA
Websites
www.arthistory.org
www.asiasociety.org

 

Art, Design and Society 2
VC 702 / Credits 4 / Wednesday's (2PM onwards) from January through April.

How is contemporary art different from the traditional arts? What are the contemporary experiments in
the world of visual and performing arts? The course is conducted through a set of gallery visits, visits to the theatre and film-screenings
and a critical appreciation of these. Interactions with artists include those with:
Paromita Vohra, Narendra Yadav, Indrapramit Roy, K. Sashidhar, Shilpa Gupta, Sudhanva Deshpande
Ramu Ramanthan, and Chaitanya Tamhane.

Course Contents
Contemporary Arts, Films, Theatre.
An Introduction to Aesthetic Theories.

Course Objectives
An exposure to contemporary art practices.
To encourage art practices amongst students.
To initiate a critical appreciation of the arts.

Course Structure
The course is conducted on every Wednesday from January through April.
The course includes a set of talks, screenings and discussions on contemporary art practices; invited talks by artists, designers, social activists and educationists; visits to museums and galleries.

Course Evaluation
In-semester evaluation is done largely on the basis of class participation, and attendance.
Depending on their inclinations and prior exposure, students have a choice of undertaking individual / group seminars in mid-February.
End-semester evaluation is on the basis of the seminar presentation and a written exam.

Select References
Books
Key Writers on Twentieth Century Art, Ed. Chruis Murray, Routledge, 2001.
Subhramanyan K.G., The Magic of Making, Seagull, 2006.
Art India Magazine
Film Theory
Journals and Magazines
Websites

Lecture Schedule: To be announced.