Art Basel Study Trip

On June 15th, 30 students traveled to Art Basel as part of the "Innovation in the Arts" course cluster comprising 'Current Art', taught by Dr. Julianna Sandholm-Bark, and 'Digital Basic Photography', taught by Francesco Arese Visconti. "We've been organizing this trip for the last five years, and it keeps getting better every year. This has been our largest group yet, and we were especially pleased to have eleven study abroad students join us," says Dr. Sandholm-Bark.

Art Basel draws hundreds of dealers, collectors, and curators as well as thousands of visitors each year, and provides the perfect opportunity to learn about the art of our time and about the luxury good that art has come to represent on a global scale. The students got to see artworks by the likes of Ai Weiwei, Gabriel Orozco, Wangeshi Mutu, Cindy Sherman, Yayoi Kusama, and Maurizio Cattelan, amongst others. "It was particularly exciting for us to see works by the artists featured in Sarah Thornton's book 33 Artists in 3 Acts, which we are using for class this term and which has shed light on the world of contemporary art by bringing the artist back into the center of the narrative," says Dr. Sandholm-Bark.

Final projects that students will present during the final week of class will critically reflect on a chapter in Thornton's book and artwork seen at Art Basel. The purpose of the course is for students to arrive at both a greater understanding of contemporary art and the world it inhabits, as well as the ability to articulate their own art philosophy.

More photos from the trip can be found on our Facebook Page.