This course surveys a range of theories and practices in contemporary art to engage with topics and theories of globalization, discussed both as a process as well as a cultural and economic paradigm that contextualizes recent strategies of artistic production and presentation. Each week new themes will be explored alongside related artistic, curatorial, and publishing projects realized over the last two decades. In addition to weekly written responses, students will develop a 2,000-3,000 word research paper in a series of steps, including topic proposal, presentation, and two drafts. Students will engage in discussions of the readings in class. Readings will be taken from the work of Frederic Jameson, Arjun Appadurai, Claire Doherty, David Harvey, Pamela M. Lee, Irit Rogoff, Saskia Sassen, Allen Sekula, Hito Steyerl, and Julian Stallabrass, among others. Artists under discussion include Jennifer Allora and Guillermo Calzadilla, Francis Alys, Paul Chan, Cao Fei, Emily Jacir, Oliver Laric, The Otolith Group, RAQS Media Collective, Renzo Martens, Takashi Murakami, Allan Sekula, Santiago Sierra, Superflex, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Ryan Trecartin, Judi Werthein, YOMANGO, The Yes Men, among many others.