The subject matter of motherhood occupies a complicated position within the art historical canon. This paper examines how the Iranian-American Tala Madani's painting series Shit Moms (2019)...Show moreThe subject matter of motherhood occupies a complicated position within the art historical canon. This paper examines how the Iranian-American Tala Madani's painting series Shit Moms (2019) challenges dominant ideas of motherhood. Overlapping discourses of feminism, motherhood and art history, it examines how Madani links the evocative allusions of 'shit' with maternity by rendering the mother as excrement. It firsts looks at Madani's oeuvre and identifies her caricatured style and tendency to make visual aphorisms as societal commentary. Then, it highlights three interrelated aspects of motherhood present in the Shit Mom series where Madani challenges staid notions of motherhood in society, namely the feelings of motherhood, the family unit and intergenerational inheritance. Finally, it examines how Madani subverts the images and ideas of the Virgin Mary and Child iconology. Crucially, it argues that Madani’s Shit Mom series challenges maternal expectations for the mother to be all-loving and all-sacrificing.Show less
Kazimir Malevich, the founder of the art movement Suprematism, has explicitly stated that Suprematism had evolved by three stages - the 'black' stage, the 'colored' stage and the 'white' stage,...Show moreKazimir Malevich, the founder of the art movement Suprematism, has explicitly stated that Suprematism had evolved by three stages - the 'black' stage, the 'colored' stage and the 'white' stage, each one following one another in a sequence. The factors hidden behind this evolution have been speculated by scholars, however, most of their analyzes contribute toward explaining the invention of Suprematism and not its evolution. Thus, three artworks are discussed - Black Square, Suprematist Composition and White on White - each one corresponding accordingly to one of the three stages of Suprematism. The evolution of Suprematism, through these three paintings, is analyzed in terms of color theory and Malevich’s manifestos, alongside an art-historical perspective and relations to Cubism and Futurism to prove that color theory is one of the main (and overlooked) factors in the evolution of Suprematism.Show less
This thesis discusses a casque ornamented with folklore patterns using theory on cultural trauma and anthropology of art in order to understand the significance of a casque within the formation and...Show moreThis thesis discusses a casque ornamented with folklore patterns using theory on cultural trauma and anthropology of art in order to understand the significance of a casque within the formation and communication of cultural trauma in Ukrainian society. The cultural trauma theory, implemented by Jeffrey C. Alexander, suggests that people construct traumas intentionally through the framework of culture. While acknowledging the importance of cultural objects in establishing and communicating traumatic processes, the approach seems to disregard the existing agency of artefacts, resulting in the premise that cultural traumas always fade away. This research aims to add another perspective to the cultural trauma theory by considering the power of artefacts through the anthropological theory of art, coined by Alfred Gell. By implying that ornamented casque has a levelled agency, the research argues that consideration of active agency makes the cultural trauma remain or be experienced again after its turn into museum objects of commemoration.Show less
In this thesis, I will explore the controversy pertaining to the Equestrian Statue of Theodore Roosevelt. This will include a background on the purpose of the statue and its relationship to the...Show moreIn this thesis, I will explore the controversy pertaining to the Equestrian Statue of Theodore Roosevelt. This will include a background on the purpose of the statue and its relationship to the American Museum of Natural History, the history behind the ownership of the statue and the information obtained and used by the City of New York on how to proceed with the statue. I will also examine the possible reasoning behind why it is being moved to the Roosevelt Presidential Library located in North Dakota instead of staying in storage, as well as addressing the racial issues associated with this statue and how they are being acknowledged. In closing, I will focus on how major institutions handled the statue and how the removal/relocation may be treated in its new location using the example of VR technology being used at the J. Sims pedestal.Show less
The urbanization and digitalization of the world are influencing an increasing number of social spheres, including the art world. In the field of public art, the virtual sphere is often neglected,...Show moreThe urbanization and digitalization of the world are influencing an increasing number of social spheres, including the art world. In the field of public art, the virtual sphere is often neglected, however, this gap can be bridged by applying the approaches of social media analyses of cities. This paper will examine a temporary mural of Aaron at Włodkowica street in Wrocław (Poland) by first analyzing it as a public artwork in a public physical space, and then further by researching the online public reception of it. By focusing on the medium of Instagram, it will be argued that, although a theoretical analysis of the mural suggests that it does not fulfill the roles of public art, it is nevertheless positively received by the researched online audience. The paper states that this is a case because of the Instagrammable aesthetic of the mural, which appeals to the online audiences, and when approached online, the artwork loses its problematic physical context.Show less
This thesis analyses the photographic series Flesh Love (2011-) by Japanese artist Haruhiko Kawaguchi (川口晴彦) as a case study that allows the audience to involuntary confront or imagine death...Show moreThis thesis analyses the photographic series Flesh Love (2011-) by Japanese artist Haruhiko Kawaguchi (川口晴彦) as a case study that allows the audience to involuntary confront or imagine death without actually including the death of the subjects photographed in the artwork. The photographed imagery is characterised by the suffocation of people in the airless bag. By analysing the case, the thesis aims to illustrate strategies to make the audience imagine death without the existence of death. The main argument of this thesis is that although the photographic series Flesh Love does not include the actual death of subjects, it successfully creates the capacity to allow the viewers to imagine death. In order to argue this point, this thesis looks at the elements that contribute to making the audience confront death through three approaches: (1) photographic images, (2) production process and the medium of photography and (3) affective capacity of the audience.Show less
This thesis examines the role of the child in the architectural philosophy of the Dutch architect Aldo van Eyck (1918-1999) and how that informed the design of the Hubertus House. In analyzing van...Show moreThis thesis examines the role of the child in the architectural philosophy of the Dutch architect Aldo van Eyck (1918-1999) and how that informed the design of the Hubertus House. In analyzing van Eyck’s conception of the child, this thesis scrutinizes his architectural thoughts expressed in The Child, the City and the Artists. It is shown that Van Eyck considered children’s creativity as an important asset to create humane cities, and he thought architecture should be the environment where the cultivation of children’s creativity happens through their play. In the design of the Hubertus House, he invented a new architectural grammar emphatically using the creativity of the child. On the other hand, the architecture also reveals the limitation of Van Eyck’s architectural theory and practice, in that they sometimes have difficulties meeting the standard of practical functionality required for the smooth operation of daily lives of adults.Show less
The developments in the last few decades in digital arts have shown that we can experience an overwhelming place without being there physically. The gigantic data-painting Nature Dreams by the...Show moreThe developments in the last few decades in digital arts have shown that we can experience an overwhelming place without being there physically. The gigantic data-painting Nature Dreams by the artist Refik Anadol shows how digital art is used to evoke associations with being in nature and give the spectator an immersive experience. Projected on a LED screen, bright coloured pigments, waves of light, abstract shapes, and patterns, based on millions of images and algorithm technology, overwhelm the spectator with awe. This thesis explores what immersion and transcendence may entail in Nature Dreams, based on immersive features in church architecture, nature and in subliminal art of 19th and 20th century. Features such as light, darkness, colour, space, and movement indicate that these evoke emotions of enlightenment and transcendence. However, the difference between the virtual and physical also reveals the limitations of the material.Show less
This paper explores an Italian contemporary reality: the rising drag scene, particularly in the city of Milan, and particularly at The Toilet Club. This paper will reflect on how the negative...Show moreThis paper explores an Italian contemporary reality: the rising drag scene, particularly in the city of Milan, and particularly at The Toilet Club. This paper will reflect on how the negative perception of gay men as monstrous figures is being deconstructed through the appearance and the performances of the drag queen Croce Atroce (1978). To understand the process of de-monsterification, it is necessary to understand when and how gay men started to be considered as monsters. Using Jeffrey Jerome Cohen’s monster theory as a theoretical framework, the hiv crisis will be identified as a relevant turning point for the monsterification of gay men in the common imaginary. After explaining the process of stigmatization that started in the 80s, the opposite process, that of de-stigmatization and de-monsterification, will be explored. Through an extensive visual analysis of the case study of the drag queen Croce Atroce, and the employment of an historical archive made of interviews, images and performances, the process of de-monsterification through drag will be researched. The results of this paper show the complexity of the Italian social and cultural scene, where matters of representation, education and communication play a crucial role. This research paper aims to contribute to the topic of de-stigmatization through the alternative form of art that is drag.Show less
The AIDS epidemic impacted without a doubt the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in the United States, predominantly queer and gay, directly. Indirectly many more still. Initially response...Show moreThe AIDS epidemic impacted without a doubt the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in the United States, predominantly queer and gay, directly. Indirectly many more still. Initially response was slow as there seemed to be a reluctance to address what would be stereotyped as a ‘gay cancer’. Yet, through diverse movements and strategies attention was created towards this issue, resulting in a federal response that would help lessening the impact of AIDS. Although it still exists today, and impacts the lives of many individuals, it also has become a liveable condition. In this thesis we will be looking into how strategies and politics of representation affected stereotypes regarding gay men, especially those living with aids. Besides that, we will also contrast this with the representation of HIV-positive people in a ‘post-AIDS’ world, to see the disparity in messaging that have emerged with changing needs.Show less
The Johan de Witt (1626-1672) monument in The Hague’s Buitenhof 33 commemorates the life and legacy of the Dutch Republic’s leader during the Dutch Golden Age (1588-1672). This paper used memory as...Show moreThe Johan de Witt (1626-1672) monument in The Hague’s Buitenhof 33 commemorates the life and legacy of the Dutch Republic’s leader during the Dutch Golden Age (1588-1672). This paper used memory as ars, and memory as vis, as theoretical lenses to discuss the significance of the site of Johan de Witt monument to the meaning of past, its relevance to the present and future. The memory stored at the site of the monument influences how people perceive the site as the location of the lynching of the brothers de Witt in 1672. Whereas the aesthetics of the monument and the historical narrative make reference to a time when owning a slave plantation was seen as beneficial to the thriving economy. The monument depicts Johan de Witt’s participation in slavery by referencing the Treaty of Breda in 1667 through the parchment on the monument’s hand and the fingers pertaining to his oath. The monument serves as a reminder of the differences in value and ideology between the old and new societies.Show less
The following paper investigates the immersive characteristics of the interactive digital installation Worlds Unleashed and then Connecting, created by the Japanese collective teamlab in 2015. The...Show moreThe following paper investigates the immersive characteristics of the interactive digital installation Worlds Unleashed and then Connecting, created by the Japanese collective teamlab in 2015. The analysis utilizes the concept of aesthetic illusion, developed by Werner Wolf, and the notion of play. Through the analysis of the multi-sensory experience, this paper will demonstrate how the theory of aesthetic illusion can be enhanced with the concept of participation, specifically notion of play.Show less
With the current trend of moving toward automation (replacing human workers with technology) based on AI technology, developers often highlight their motivation as one of the progress and necessity...Show moreWith the current trend of moving toward automation (replacing human workers with technology) based on AI technology, developers often highlight their motivation as one of the progress and necessity. However, they often forget the social implications of large-scale implementation of these technologies, such as potential discrimination and oppression from automated decision-making systems. This thesis takes the community-based art project, The Feminist Data Set by Caroline Sinders, as a source of interest in how its activism reflects on these concerns and reveals the power structures in data science and networks. The Feminist Data Set essentially recognizes its power in its capacity to act and propose alternative practices to large technology companies. Through the analysis of the text by Sinders about the project and workshops, this thesis tries to review what specific strategies Sinders offers to tackle the issue of biases within AI and how to make networks more democratic. The model that The Feminist Data Set emphasizes actively involves participants, where the education and access to the data about algorithms could benefit social networks and the internet in more democratization and accountability, which could bring society closer to the ideas of social justice within AI-based systems.Show less
