Week 2: Art from West Africa – the Benin Bronzes

This video is powerful in its message about how colonialism has stolen, attacked and plundered West Africa’s rich cultural heritage and history. Standing in the museum of the descendants of the colonizers, in front of the plundered works, the descendant of the affected himself tells of the consequences of the attackers. Events that have been done in the past will be reflected in the future, and their traces will never be erased nor forgotten.

Week 1: “Why you don’t like Art History!”

As mentioned in the video, there are many ways of looking at art history, according to John Berger. Art history becomes enjoyable, in my opinion, when you are able to see the bigger picture of a work of art — the time period, cultural influences and the factors involved at the time, etc. Studying art history is another way to see how mankind has evolved, and the many narratives merged within the art works over the course of the centuries inspire people of the present day.