Australian (art)history

Cursus

Australian (art)history

Every year, almost nine million people visit Australia. It welcomes around 300,000 migrants during that period as well. And many more aspire to living on the other side of the world, even only on a temporary basis. Still, not many of us know anything real about the country. They speak a kind of English, yes, have got kangaroos, hot weather, the Opera House and do a mean BBQ. That is where most of our knowledge ends. But Australia has a fascinating history, full of interesting and hilarious stories and people. And in the arts, it punches above its weight. Writers, filmmakers, artists, musicians: they work everywhere in the world and bring their uniquely Australian sensibilities to everything they do.

Geologically speaking, Australia is the oldest place on earth. In 2001, a piece of crystal was found in Western Australia that is 4.4 billion years old. But as a nation, it is one of the youngest: after the British take-over on the 26^th of January 1788 (‘weather fair, wind from the west’) it only federated in 1901. But it did legalise female suffrage many years before most other countries and had the first social-democratic government in the world. Often without knowing, we all incorporate a little Australia in our lives. We have seen Skippy, Mad Max, Moulin Rouge or Barbie. We sing along with Kylie Minogue, AC/DC, Sia or INXS, marvel at the art of Nick Cave or Tracey Moffatt. If you want to know more about the country they call home, this is the course for you.

This course is taught in English. De cursus wordt ook in het Nederlands aangeboden.