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Art and Biogenetics: Breeding the Body Beautiful - SAHT9206
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Campus: College of Fine Arts Campus
 
 
Career: Postgraduate
 
 
Units of Credit: 6
 
 
EFTSL: 0.12500 (more info)
 
 
Indicative Contact Hours per Week: 3
 
 
Enrolment Requirements:
 
 
None
 
 
Excluded: SAHT2224
 
 
Fee Band: 1 (more info)
 
 
Further Information: See Class Timetable
 
  

Description

When Eugenic Sterilisation became law in the Third Reich, American, Australian, European and British Eugenic Societies immediately congratulated Hitler. He, in turn, commended their eugenic policies and acknowledged them as his precedent. Far from being an isolatable phenomenon, this course will then reveal why Nazi eugenics may be perceived as the extreme realisation of a biogenetic culture that flourished worldwide. By examining images and exhibitions of the body beautiful, alongside those of degeneracy, it will explore different ways in which art propelled the quest for genetic perfection. Through an investigation of the artwork of such critical Modernists as Marcel Duchamp and Picabia, it will expose ways in which art was also able to parody this quest. As a postgraduate course, it will also investigate the relationship of eugenics to the Human Genome Project today and the art projects that have pursued its ramifications upon bioethics and aesthetics.

Course Outline

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© The University of New South Wales (CRICOS Provider No.: 00098G), 2004-2011. The information contained in this Handbook is indicative only. While every effort is made to keep this information up-to-date, the University reserves the right to discontinue or vary arrangements, programs and courses at any time without notice and at its discretion. While the University will try to avoid or minimise any inconvenience, changes may also be made to programs, courses and staff after enrolment. The University may also set limits on the number of students in a course.