Pauline J Yao

This class surveys the development of contemporary Chinese art from the late 1970s to 2010s through the lens of space. In China, contemporary art forms such as abstract painting, video, installation, and performance have long existed in the margins, outside the mainstream system. We will examine the spatial politics of production, display and consumption of this art over several decades, tracking how art in China interacts with political spaces (state run institutions and venues), the private domain (ad-hoc and independent spaces) and finally purpose-built and commercial outlets (galleries, and museums).
Studying the history and evolution of contemporary Chinese art, also referred to as `avant-garde¿ or `experimental¿ art, is to study its interactions with space, be it public or private, physical or discursive. Lectures and discussions will focus on key events such as the Stars Painting Group¿s 1979 exhibition, the ¿China/Avant-Garde¿ 1989 exhibition, and the 2000 Shanghai Biennale as well as peripheral events and select activities outside of China. Readings will include texts by Wu Hung, Peggy Wang, Rosalyn Deutsche and Miwon Kwon.
Various exercises and writing assignment during the semester, in-class presentations, one research paper.

Using the Spring 2025 Visiting Artist Program (VAP) lectures as a point of departure, this seminar addresses some of the most urgent issues and debates shaping the production and distribution of art right now. The class will attend all of the VAP lectures on Tuesday nights throughout the term, followed by exclusive discussions with the artists in question on Wednesday mornings. Seminar readings will include texts and interviews on each visiting artist, as well as broader texts that expand their concerns to larger concerns in cultural, social and political spheres. We will repeatedly ask our visitors and ourselves: what is it that art has to offer that is unique from activism, journalism, media studies, sociology, or any other field of inquiry or action?

Founded in 1868, the Visiting Artists Program is one of the oldest public programs of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. It has featured over 1,000 international artists, designers, and scholars representing more than 70 countries through a diverse mix of lectures, screenings, conversations, and readings. Attending the lectures on Tuesdays and the seminar on Wednesday morning is mandatory, which means that students' schedules will need to be free both times. Class will meet both Tuesday and Wednesday on weeks when there is a VAP lecture, and only on Wednesdays when there is no lecture. Assignments will include a journal with short responses to all the lectures and a final paper or creative project related to course material.

Using the Spring 2025 Visiting Artist Program (VAP) lectures as a point of departure, this seminar addresses some of the most urgent issues and debates shaping the production and distribution of art right now. The class will attend all of the VAP lectures on Tuesday nights throughout the term, followed by exclusive discussions with the artists in question on Wednesday mornings. Seminar readings will include texts and interviews on each visiting artist, as well as broader texts that expand their concerns to larger concerns in cultural, social and political spheres. We will repeatedly ask our visitors and ourselves: what is it that art has to offer that is unique from activism, journalism, media studies, sociology, or any other field of inquiry or action?

Founded in 1868, the Visiting Artists Program is one of the oldest public programs of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. It has featured over 1,000 international artists, designers, and scholars representing more than 70 countries through a diverse mix of lectures, screenings, conversations, and readings. Attending the lectures on Tuesdays and the seminar on Wednesday morning is mandatory, which means that students' schedules will need to be free both times. Class will meet both Tuesday and Wednesday on weeks when there is a VAP lecture, and only on Wednesdays when there is no lecture. Assignments will include a journal with short responses to all the lectures and a final paper or creative project related to course material.