Who Owns the Past? Art, Heritage, and Global Conflicts

(Cross-listed with ILVS 164 and CVS 119) Increasingly, heritage sites are flash points in cultural, economic, and religious conflicts around the globe. Clearly history matters, but how do structure become symbols of identity? Why do certain histories matter in particular ways, and to whom? Through a close study of concepts and important art historical and archaeological sites, students will learn to analyze landscapes, architecture, and objects, as well as reflect on the scholarly and public debates about history and heritage around the world. Far from being geared towards the study of beauty, art history today is often deeply embedded in heated debates about heritage and present-day conflicts. Counts as a seminar for art history majors.