20th century German art

In this 10-session course we will examine the changing nature of German Art in the 20th century and the impact of key historical events such as the First World War, the Second World War and the fall of the Berlin Wall. We will focus on artists such as Max Beckmann, Otto Dix, Kathe Kollwitz, Kurt Schwitters, Joseph Beuys, Andreas Gursky, Anselm Kiefer and Gerhard Richter. We will discuss the political and philosophical questions raised by the artworks in relation to the historical changes. The course is structured around classroom lectures and discussions, and a few gallery visits, starting with German art movements such as Expressionism, Dadaism, Conceptualism and Neo-Expressionism, and finishing with the most recent multi-media works.