Duration
30h Th, 15h Pr
Number of credits
Lecturer
Language(s) of instruction
French language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the second semester
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
The course questions the relationship between art and anthropology. Furthermore, it gives the student a chance to experiment what artistic practices can contribute to ethnography, as fieldwork and as a communication practice to various audiences.
Thus, the course presents itself as an introduction to the anthropology of art and the question of relations between artistic and anthropological approaches. Consequently, besides the discussion and experimenting of practical ethno-anthropological collaborations, the course considers the issue of engaged anthropological practices.
Firstly, the course aims to discuss fundamental notions (aesthetics, performance, poetics, politics, sensitive ...) starting from specific questions; How did anthropology define art? What are the affinities between the two? How does anthropology collaborate with artists? This part of the course is the first learning module of three, it consists of classical sitting course. Each sitting sessionn will be followed by exploratory wanderings/ workshops at the Sart Timan University site, the pratical exercices aim at developing one's perceptions. These workshops will be coached by artist or anthropologist.
Secondly, the course intends to emphasize the interest of artistic practice for ethnography. This year the practical field proposed to students is part of an ERASMUS+ project called "Altervia Multivox". This project is led by the Compagnie du Théâtre des Chemins (Grenoble), it associates the University of Liège (MSH/LASC) and the University of Zadar (Croatia) with the aim of exploring possibilities for promoting territories through soft mobility and artistic practices.
Concretely, students are invited to participate in an immersive week which will be held in the Belgian Ardennes during the week from Monday April 22 to Friday April 26 (planned: 5 full days residentially, supported by the project).
During this week, the training offers:
- A space of creativity to explore hybrid animation tools combining culture, ethnography and soft mobility
- A method of collecting words from residents in order to collect life stories, a diversity of representations of landscapes, anecdotes, testimonies from different eras, know-how, etc.
- A mode of listening and paying particular attention to the environment, allowing us to collect and restore what "non-humans" who do not have a voice have to say to us
- Research on the representation of the "immersion" landscape and the movement of "non-humans"
This is the second module. It aims to familiarize and practice students in the use of mixed analytical registers.
Finally, this is the last module, the students will - following the encounter with this field and taking advantage of the explorations carried out - produce a reflexive report. The latter can be discussed with tutors during dedicated sessions, in particular with a view to supporting their writing, reinforcing certain analytical options, etc. Particular attention to the political dimensions of ethno-artistic investigation is requested, as well as a questioning of its capacity to create more or less public spaces of expression.
This course has the particular ambition to offer students (striking albeit short) experiences of collaboration with artists.
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
- To enter and participate in an analytically fruitful dialogue between art and anthropology;
- To approach the anthropological theories of art;
- To discover, familiarize with and produce sensitive ethnographies;
- To become familiar with the use of mixed analytical registers;
- To think out and present a hybrid ethnographical account;
- To develop one's attention capacities.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
- Good knowledge of and specific interest for ethnography;
- Interest in debates around the crisis of representation;
- Sincere curiosity for art (especially contemporary art).
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
The course comprises three distinct learning modules.
Module 1: Introduction to the relationships between anthropology and art, issues and consequent theoretical debate. Hybridizing the social sciences. "Sitting classes".
90 min workshop, after the sitting course, practical exercices of attention development coached by external animator.
Module 2: Feel, perceive, interact, produce, communicate. "Immersion week-end"
Module 3: Meeting and assessing collectively two initiatives in Bressoux. "Strolling and evaluation sessions".
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
Face-to-face course
Additional information:
Blended learning
Additional information:
To each module, a learning method. The first module is divided in lecturing (five: 6/2, 27/2, 5/3, 12/3; 19/3) divided between lectures and collective sessions of analysis of reference texts. A reader is provided. Could turn in distant learning if necessary.
The second module is based on a dense residential stay, during which students work with artists and other students (French and Croatian) on exercises in speech collection, perception and performance (theater, photography, for example). This module is based on the active participation of students. For this year, as part of the Erasmus+ project, it requires being willing to carry out several "observant itineraries" by bike (daily journeys around 10 to 15 km). Bicycles will be provided and rented by the project.
The third module is based on students reviewing their observations and analyses. It is potentially carried out independently although students can still benefit from the support of the tutors at this time within the framework of dedicated sessions.
Recommended or required readings
A reader is offered and readings are suggested. Support slides to the ex-cathedra courses are available.
Exam(s) in session
Any session
- In-person
oral exam
Written work / report
Continuous assessment
Additional information:
The evaluation of students is based on the following elements:
- Participation in activities;
- Two short assignments during the year: a short essay of a selected article, a short paper on an ethnographic film;
- A reflective report of the immersive experience, with a presentation (in appendix) and a discussion of the raw materials resulting from the fielwork.
Final exam: oral presentation of the reflective report and discussions with lecturers.
Work placement(s)
Organisational remarks and main changes to the course
Course is offered during the second semester. The immersion stay will take place from Monday April 22 to Friday April 26. Mark your calendars! The costs are covered by the Erasmus+ Altervia Multivox project.
The dates of the sessions are available in the University online calendar (celcat).
Contacts
Rachel BRAHY - Rachel.Brahy@uliege.be
Guy MASSART -Guy.Massart@uliege.be