Mapping the Aesthetics of Urban Life in Asia: A Dialogue with the Arts

IIAS-CSEAS Winter School 2016 in conjunction with the CSEAS Southeast Asian Seminar

Dates: 25 - 30 January 2016

The Winter School

This unique IIAS-CSEAS coordinated international Winter School proposes to explore the theme of “mapping the aesthetics of urban life” in South, Southeast and Northeast Asia by examining how the Arts can contribute to the re-conceptualization of urban spaces.

The 6 day workshop set in the changing – yet highly historical and cultural- urban environment of Kyoto, will bring together three conveners – one cultural studies scholar, one artist/educator, and one architect - to guide a group of doctoral candidates from Asia and other regions to exchange on the role of the Arts in the (re)building of Asian cities. Two days will be set aside for fieldwork excursions within Kyoto.

The winter school’s conveners believe that the unprecedented wave of urbanization in Asia can potentially open new spaces of interventions, not only for architects, city planners and designers, but also for artists and intellectuals committed to stimulate public engagements.  Artists do it through various modes of performativity ranging from urban art, literature, performances, music, filmmaking et al. One key question emerges from these interventions: how can the urban landscape of the city be a template to think about both modern and traditional aesthetics in Asia or challenge that distinction, and how are aesthetics constitutive of the Asian city?

By focusing in on different modes of urban-art interventions, including the role of sound-art in re-mapping the city, the re/usage of empty urban spaces and the city as a visual and creative spectacle, the January 2016 Kyoto winter school seeks to explore how arts and popular urban cultures can converge to act as agents of social inclusion in Asian cities.

Call for applications - closed

For detailed information, please surf to: http://www.iias.nl/winterschool2016

Inline image © Adaptor-Plug