ROUND TABLE

Course Description

In this hybrid art practice and theory seminar, students will be asked to collaboratively and critically engage with texts through the relational practice of a weekly 4 course metaphorical dinner. Gathered around the table, together we will dive into what it means to nourish each other, to rest as resistance, and to care for our community through this ritualized seminar. Printed ephemera will act as the documents of each meal and be the primary art work of the quarter.

The first meals will begin with an appetizer: the introductory poem or quote to begin the meal and set the theme. Then the class will move onto salads: supportive media, artwork, film, etc. to digest before the entree. The entree is the week’s main reading, topic, or artwork which will be discussed in depth. Finally, the class will round out with dessert: a closing reflection generated by the students. These first dinners will inform how the following dinners will function, who will be invited, and what will be responded to. Menus, name place tags, and invitations will be produced as each meal’s printed ephemera. Thinking about the history of print as a means for quick, mass information dissemination, this rigorous engagement of practice, print, and theory asks students to think critically about the intersections of art, activism, ritual, and community care. The class will be rooted in Nicholas Bouillard’s theory of relational aesthetics and organizing histories. We will also draw from a wide array of religious, queer, art, and activist theory, among them: Rirkrit Tiravanija’s seminal work Untitled (free), Babette’s Feast (1987), Self Help Graphics, Black Panther Breakfast Program and more.

Interested non-Art majors are encouraged to reach out to the instructor for an add code.