Special Lecture
Miki Okubo:
“Challenge of an Alien (Étranger) Lecturer:
How I Contribute to Enlivening University Classes through Creating Artistic Actions”

Miki Okubo, lecturer at The University of Paris 8, will deliver a special lecture in our Ueno campus. The lecture will be conducted in Japanese. All welcome.

Date:Tuesday, May 23, 2017
Time:16:30〜18:00
Venue:Room: 5-406, Department of Music, Ueno Campus, Tokyo University of the Arts

Abstract:
During my six-years’ personal experience of teaching contemporary art in Department of Plastic Art at Université Paris 8 since 2011, I have seriously thought how I, a mere “foreign” lecturer, can contribute to and enliven university education, to let students involved in creating actions, realize pragmatically different projects. The lectures I am in charge of at my university are: “Representation of the Self and Mobiles Media” (theoretical) and “Literary Creations Based on New Dramaturgies and Literary Structures” (practical). All works realized by participants/students are shared on the website titled “le cours” so that the works are accessible not only for teachers but also for everyone including potential visitors. Different types of artists (performers, photographers, dancers and plastic artists) have given conferences about their artistic concepts and works and then organized workshops/ateliers which allow students with artists to connect and share rich experiences. Furthermore, as an art critic, I am actively involved in writing articles to introduce artists and their works or exhibitions from original points of view (based on my own origin and personal experiences), through contributing to organizing events, making catalogues and giving conferences in related projects.

In my lectures, I share my experience and considerations acquired through my trans-disciplinary challenges as an educator/researcher/critic/essayist/artist that ask the following questions:

“How can a foreign lecturer enliven university education by his/her original methods?”
“What is the best use of an opportunity for creating actions as “an alien (étranger)”?”
(Miki Okubo)

Profile:
Miki OKUBO
Born in 1984, Sapporo. Ph.D (Art Plastique, Université Paris8, Esthétique, Sciences et Technologies des Arts, Art contemporain et Photographie). Lecturer in the Department of Plastic Arts, University Paris 8. She teaches different representations of the self and literary creations based on our digital era. Specialized in studies of culture and representation, phenomenology of body, representation of the self, media arts and participative arts. She has organized artistic events collaborating with artists and has given workshops/ateliers on creating self-narrative writing through digital devices, or based on new dramaturgy. She regularly writes reviews on European or other international art exhibitions, critical essays on artists and their artworks. She is an essayist for the critical review journal Toxic Girls Review edited by Hiroshi Yoshioka. She has also written “Exposition de soi à l’époque mobile/liquide (Contemporary Representations of the Self Characterized by Mobility and Liquidity)” (doctoral thesis) as well as “Representations of human body in fashion photography-Analysis of Vanessa Beecroft’s art works”, Selected paper, published in Vanitas vol.3.

Inquiry:
Faculty Room, Department of Arts Studies and Curatorial Practices, Graduate School of Global Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts
Office Hours (Ueno): 10:00-19:00 (Mon, Thu, Fri)
Tel (Ueno): ＋81-(0)50-5525-2725
Office Hours (Senju): 10:00～19:00 (Tue, Wed)
Tel (Senju): ＋81-(0)50-5525-2732
info-ga(at)ml.geidai.ac.jp