This course explores the diverse and myriad impact of works of art and the visual image more broadly on the viewing public. Drawing on a select body of objects and images across different temporal and spatial frames and from various sites of visual encounters – museums, art galleries, exhibitions, commemorative monuments, theme parks, streets and other public spaces, to a range of material media of visual images – paintings, prints, posters, maps, tourist brochures, photographs circulating in the print media, sculptures, and public statues, the course addresses the centrality of visual images in the making and unmaking of public spheres. Class discussions will be supplemented by visits to local galleries, museums, theme parks, and temples.
sraman.mukherjee@ashoka.edu.in