Since its emergence in the early 1960s, Feminist Art has remained one of the most relevant political art forms of our time. Pioneering and utilizing innovative art forms such as conceptual art, performance art, video art, and body art, as well as reinventing forms of expression traditionally considered “female”—such as fiber art or ceramics—feminist artists continue to radically challenge social, cultural, and political norms as they relate to women and, in particular, women artists.

This course will look at how feminist thinking has influenced the arts since the 1960s, both in Western as well as selected non-Western contexts. It will present the foundational feminist theories that furthered the radicalization of female artists and trace their manifestation in the visual arts. Due to its strong political content and often taboo-breaking visuality, feminist art continues to present its own set of challenges to curators and museum professionals. In addition to introducing students to the most important exhibitions of feminist art, the course will also investigate curatorial practices and exhibition formats that follow feminist premises.

The course will include archival material as well as video and photo documentation of key feminist art works and exhibitions. Participants will be given a reading list and one writing assignment.