142396 PS Butter, Wax and Blood - Material and Materiality in the Art of South Asia (2021S)

The aim of the course is an introduction to scientific work through the independent processing and presentation of an art historical and cultural topic, as well as through the critical analysis of the relevant literature. Connected thinking and digital skills in dealing with scientific information on the Internet are also to be promoted.

Content: The material plays an essential role in the production, function and use of an object - this applies not only to everyday objects, but also to cult and art objects. In art in particular, the material often determines the aesthetic impression. In cultural historical research and analysis, material is often neglected as an aspect of scholarly debate, although its historical coding and symbolic meaning have changed over time. Only in recent years has the semantic aspect of materiality and its shift in meaning, partly caused by industrialization, been taken into account. In contemporary art in South Asia, for example, artists renounce the use of traditional materials and turn to unconventional substances such as wax, metal, blood, cow or elephant dung. In the course of the introductory seminar, we want to approach the topic of "material and materiality" by discussing some case studies from religious and artistic practice in South Asia.

Method: Artistic developments, special features, and idiosyncrasies are discussed by using selected examples of painting, sculpture, architecture, and ritual art.