syllabus

Week 1: Personal Memory

The first week features introductions of participants followed by an in-depth analysis and discussion of the theme of personal memory. Works of artists using personal memory and emotion such as love, longing, or loss - LA Raeven, Franko B., Martin O'Brien, among others - will serve as inspirations for the creation of short ad-hoc performances by participants, which will be shared and discussed in class. This exercise helps familiarize the participants with the virtual classroom space, become comfortable performing within the group, and start articulating questions that can be elaborated in the upcoming assignments.

Assignment: performance exercise, recorded on video (up to 5 minutes long)

Week 2: Group Memory

The theme of week two is group memory. Discussions will focus on themes and issues that touch every participant as a member of a particular community and embedded discourses such as race or gender, as well as experiences such as displacement. We will look into the works of artists like La Pocha Nostra, Kimsooja, Prech R Sun, Miao Jiaxin, and Jodie Lyn-Kee-Chow, among others. Participants will be asked to create short performances drawing from the theme of group memory, which will be shared and discussed with the group.

Assignment: performance exercise, recorded on video (up to 5 minutes long)

Week 3: Collective Memory

Collective memory will be the focus of the third week. Analysis of key works such as Rugile Barzdziukatie's, Vaiva Grainyte's, and Lina Lapelyte's durational performance Sun&Sea (Marina), presented at the Lithuanian pavilion of the 2019 Venice Biennale, will lead us to consider how experiences of global magnitude suc as the current Covid-19 pandemic can be used and critically reflected on through performative work. Participants will prepare a short performance drawing from aspects of collective memory, which will be shared and discussed with the group. Preparations for the final performances will take place within the group as well as individually with the lecturer. 

Assignment: performance exercise, recorded on video (up to 5 minutes long)

Week 4: Final Performances

Drawing from the previous weeks' theory, discussions, and practical exercises, each participant will present a final performance work live in class. After the performances are presented, discussions and feedback will follow.