Syllabus
1) Introductory lecture - end-of-art theses in context: the end of art/ history/theory
2) Historical origin of end-of art theses: G. W. F. Hegel
3) 1980´s and the end of art history: Hans Belting
4) 1980´s and the end of art: Arthur C. Danto
5) On the origin of Danto´s thesis
6) From the end of art to Art after the End of Art
7) The criticism of Danto’s thesis.
8) The end of art theory: Victor Burgin
9) The end of art vs. the "Death of Painting"
10) The End of Art NOW -contemporary interpretation
11) Consequences of the theses to contemporary art and theory
12) Final lecture: summary
Annotation
The Ends and Future of Art
This course aims to discuss the notion of the end within the domain of art and art history. Although it seems that this topic belongs to the history of philosophy of art, interest in this topic has in recent years increased. New books on the end of art were published and the theses were read from fresh perspectives. The first formulation of the end of art thesis goes back to Hegel, however, this course will mainly concern with similar claims from 1980’, especially with Arthur C. Danto’s and Hans Belting’s. The course shall ask on what condition it is possible to think about the end art, what is the exact meaning of the theses; how the theses evolved and what kind of criticism they had to face and how can they help us to deal with contemporary art. In introductory lectures, I shall introduce the idea of the end of art, put it into a wider perspective and outline its historical roots. In following lectures , I shall focus on Danto’s and Belting’s writings, on the ways both authors revise their theses within the time a on the relevant criticism of their position. After that I will attend to the contemporary discussion about the end of art and especially to the question whether the conception of the end of art can help contribute to solve some problems of contemporary philosophy of art.
The assessment will be based on the active participation ( 40%) and an essay about the discussed topic (60%).