Where to look: attention ecologies in artistic practice, from modernism to the present

Visual attention is one of the central currencies of the visual arts. With the rise of industrial modernity and mass culture, attracting, directing, and sustaining attention became increasingly central to artistic practice already at the beginning of the 20th century. This course examines the development of modern and contemporary art through the lens of the attention economy and attentional capitalism. It considers how practices of making, exhibiting, and selling art have sought to shape and at times manipulate the viewer’s attention; including how changing conditions of display and consumption have transformed the relationship between artworks and their audiences. — Contact Hours: 22 hours (Semester: 1.5h/week, 15 weeks)