One sometimes sees people walking through a gallery, catalogue in hand [ ] as soon as they have found the title or the name they walk on. People who have acquired some knowledge of art history nod wisely when they see a Rembrandt, wonderful chiaroscuro, and wander on to the next Ernst Gombrich in The Story of ArtThe quote above illustrates a struggle that many museum visitors probably recognize: how to make sense of an artwork? In this seminar we will treat art as a tool everybody can use. A tool that challenges the way we think about ourselves and the society we live in. We will discuss topics, such as cruelty, performativity, space and the digital and relate them to a wide range of art examples � both traditional and contemporary. However, the emphasis in this course will be on contemporary art. During this seminar you will find out that reflecting on art also means reflecting on society. A seminar on art can, of course, not take place without looking at art itself. Therefore, one of our sessions will take place either in Museo Estaban Vicente or at an interesting contemporary art exhibition.