2 Audley Square
Mayfair, London W1K
UK
Founded in 1994, THE COURSE offers art history lectures, opera and literature courses, guided museum visits and London walks.
This course will introduce the art and architecture of Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Java, Bali, Burma and Thailand. It will explore its sacred art, examine carvings, symbolism and iconography that express fundamental religious beliefs. Contemporary art will be shown in the form of painting, especially in Vietnam, influenced first by China then France during the colonial regime. A glimpse of colonial architecture in Indochina will enrich your understanding of the fusion of East and West and glorious weaving traditions will also feature throughout the region. A look at sacred dance will reveal exquisite rituals and dance dramas that have evolved and survived to reveal the soul of the people and the role of dance today.
CAMBODIA: Sacred Art of Angkor, from Past to Present
Within an area of nearly 400 sq kms there are numerous temples, many of them covered in jungle, but the most important is Angkor Wat. Built in the C12th, it is the largest religious monument in the world and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You will explore Hinduism and Buddhism and learn how religious belief was incorporated into this society and its art. The French colonial city of Phnom Penh and the living arts will also be explored.