AAAS 68.20 French Museums and the African Diaspora

This course delves into the intersections of art, race, and representation within French museum collections, with a particular focus on Africans and African descended peoples in France and beyond. Key debates and questions addressed in this course include: How have museums in France “acquired” their African and diasporic art collections? What is the value of uncovering and/or amplifying the backstories or narratives of black figures depicted in European art? What are the implications of the presence—or absence—of art objects by people of African descent in national museums, and what do omissions and silences reveal about museum curatorial practices in France? By engaging these issues in relation to broader themes and concepts of de/coloniality, modernity, and race, students will gain a deeper understanding of the evolving role of museums not only as heritage sites but also sites vested with cultural, historical, and memory that gesture to futures yet untold.  

Degree Requirement Attributes

Dist:INT or SOC; WCult:CI

The Timetable of Class Meetings contains the most up-to-date information about a course. It includes not only the meeting time and instructor, but also its official distributive and/or world culture designation. This information supersedes any information you may see elsewhere, to include what may appear in this ORC/Catalog or on a department/program website. Note that course attributes may change term to term therefore those in effect are those (only) during the term in which you enroll in the course.