This FSEM is an introduction to current developments in contemporary art and culture of Korea, with an emphasis on K-Pop, the Hallyu (Korean Wave), contemporary Korean art, and Korean film.
The goal of this course is to provide students with wide and deep knowledge of the critically important cultural and art movements in Korea in the global world. In each lecture we will explore important aspects that have shaped today’s Korean society, culture, and art, the history of K-Pop and its globalization, the development of Hallyu, contemporary Korean film, and contemporary Korean artists. Although readings and assignments are set up on different forms of cultural products, the overall intent of the course is to gain a comprehensive understanding of Korean popular art and culture.
This course is designed to be discussion-based where all students are expected to be active participants and arrive prepared for each class meeting. Students will gain an understanding of the synthesis of forms of visual expression present in contemporary Korean art and culture and the varied methodologies that have been employed by critics and historians of recent art and culture to understand and critique it. Students will learn the appropriate theoretical approaches to cultural studies and art history and will become familiar with standard print and electronic sources, plus relevant databases, for research in Korean art and culture as they develop their own ideas.
Course meetings will consist of lectures, film/video watching, frequent in-class discussions based on assigned readings, online collaborative activities, and presentations. This course is discussion intensive and students are expected to complete assigned readings before class and to participate actively in discussions.