Art and Religion in Africa

Recommended Prerequisites

1st Cycle of Social Sciences or related scientific areas.

Teaching Methods

The classes are divided into two types:

1) Lectures, exposed by teacher, which introduced the main topics of the syllabus,

2) Seminar classes, in which students exposed texts previously scheduled with the teacher, followed by a global debate.

Learning Outcomes

In this course it is intended that students achieve the following objectives and skills:

1. understanding of the specific cultural nature of the category  'art' and its cultural variability

2. distinction between art as a product and as a process

3. analysis of the factors of the relationship between artistic practices and religious practices in African contexts.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

This course will examine two key themes:

1 - The transformation of perspectives on African art from the West: steps in a theoretical route (from exotic to artistic)

2 - The process of producing objects, classified as "works of art", in view of its origin, meaning and function.

By the collation of these perspectives will be possible to assess the importance of the final product (in the West) and the importance of the process (for African producers).

Head Lecturer(s)

Mónica Alexandra de Almeida Monteiro Saavedra

Assessment Methods

Assessment
The evaluation system consists of a final work, on a free theme chosen by the student within the contents of the syllabus of the course.: 100.0%

Bibliography

Gonseth, Marc-Olivier, Hainard Jacques et Kaehr Roland, (eds.) 2002, Le musée cannibale, Musée d’Ethnographie de Neuchatel

Price, Sally, 1989, Primitive Art in Civilized Places, University of Chicago Press

Willet, Frank, 1993, African art: an introduction. New York, N.Y. Thames and Hudson