Claim up to $1,250 in flight credits!
Get up to $1,250 in flight credits or grants toward study or internship programs abroad when you apply by June 30, 2026. See our Official Rules for full details.
Urban Interventions, Graffiti & Public Sculpture
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona - Direct Enroll Program
Barcelona, Spain
Dates: early Sep 2027 - mid Dec 2027
Urban Interventions, Graffiti & Public Sculpture
OVERVIEW
CEA CAPA Partner Institution: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Primary Subject Area: Art History
Instruction in: English
Course Code: SA3037E
Transcript Source: Partner Institution
Course Details: Level 300
Recommended Semester Credits: 3
Contact Hours: 45
DESCRIPTION
Urban public spaces take a multitude of forms, and serve a wide variety of purposes. Due to privatisation, today's lack of public spaces leaves less room for a truly public discourse. In the first part of the course, we will define what public space is, who has access to it, and how it is used. We will not only consider what the economic value of a public space is in our cities, but also view it from a social perspective. We will discuss how art can be used to renegotiate the use of public spheres as a platform for a multitude of voices that encourages democracy. We will also concentrate on the different processes in which the legal practice of Public Sculpture is commissioned for short and long term purposes in public spaces as well as private spaces that are for the public's use. In the second part of the course we will learn about the less legal forms of Art practices and interventions that also contribute to the many layers that make up our cities: Graffiti, Post-graffiti, and Street Art. Graffiti is often associated with decay and communities out of control. In some cities it is legal, within limits, and valued as a social expression. Street art is often commissioned and sanctioned and has a firm place in many communities. It also can be an important form of "outsider" expression. We will look at examples of graffiti and street art that have had beneficial influences on communities and which have served as propellants of expression and dialogue. Where are they located? Can they be nurtured without undermining their essential outsider qualities?