Marguerite Lenius

An Introduction to Global Visual Culture
This course is an introduction to the visual cultures of the world, with an emphasis on how images, objects, and monuments are made, experienced, exchanged, and used by groups of people with diverse religious, socio-economic, and cultural backgrounds. We will focus on themes that have been taken up by different cultures and adapted over time, such as monumentality, the sacred, embodiment, science, and technology. Through a close study of these themes, we will consider how materials, cultures, and histories are transformed and negotiated through making and viewing works of art. In the process, we will challenge the art historical canon by shedding light on marginalized periods, regions, and artworks. 2 hrs. lect./1 hr. disc.

Introduction to African Art and Architecture
In this course, we will explore the rich history of Africa’s art and architecture. Through lectures, readings, videos, museum visits, and discussions, we will examine sites, ritual arts, artistic genres, and contemporary art made for global audiences. Examples include prehistoric Saharan and Kalahari rock paintings; ancient Egyptian, Nubian, Zimbabwean, and Ethiopian architecture; Sahelian mosques; Kongo ritual art; body arts; and El Anatsui’s dazzling bottlecap sculptures. When possible, we will highlight intersections between Africa and Euro-America, proposing that present framings of this history are as much a legacy of the latter as the cultures from whom the art originates. In so doing, we will gain an appreciation for the heritage of African art and its significance to Africa and the world.

Exhibiting Africa: History, Theory, and Praxis
In this seminar, we will explore the (im)possibilities of representing Africa’s arts in museums. Through readings, images, websites, discussions, and museum visits, we will survey Euro-America’s shifting valuation of artworks from Africa from the late 19th century to the present and the implications for installation and interpretation. We will consider recent curatorial strategies to address the challenges of representing African art in museums, examining the categories of contemporary vs. “traditional” art, questions of authenticity, the art market’s influence on museum collections, issues of provenance and repatriation, and efforts to decolonize the museum. Culminating in an imaginary exhibit, the course probes the past and the present to introduce students to the theoretical and practical aspects of museology.

Masks and the Senses in Sub-Saharan Africa
Multi-sensorial spectacles involving visual and performing arts, masquerades are among Africa’s oldest and most dynamic expressive forms, long used to negotiate power, heal, and entertain across the continent and Diaspora. In this seminar, we place the sensing body at the heart of our exploration of masquerades, asking how sensory perception informs artistic creation and interpretation. Using case studies, and emphasizing how masquerades adapt to historical change, we consider the history of the senses, their differences across cultures and time, and their hierarchies to understand their role in knowledge production. Through discussions, readings, written reflections, videos, and museum visits, we move beyond the limitations of our sensoria to deepen our understanding and appreciation of African arts.

Benin Art: Power and Provenance
In 1897, Ralph Locke, an operative of the infamous British Punitive Expedition, stole a leopard sculpture from the Royal Palace in Benin City (Nigeria). The stunning piece, an emblem of the Benin king’s supernatural and military power, now hangs in Middlebury’s Museum. Through readings, films, digital media, museum visits, workshops with museum professionals, discussions, and short written assignments, we will learn the history of Benin art and join international efforts to repatriate Middlebury’s Benin leopard. As the College prepares to open a new museum and expand its African collection, together we will advance its efforts by researching the provenance of its current African holdings. The only prerequisites are curiosity and a desire to effect change through art.