The UK Mexican Arts Society and UNAM-UK present the introductory online course: Mesoamerican art: from the past to the present.

We are pleased to present an introductory course of Mesoamerica. The objective of this program is to introduce  Mesoamerican Art to the British and the Mexican public, and raise awareness of the impact of the Mesoamerican cultures in current artistic expressions, such as painting, music, dance, literature, and photography.
The program will be integrated by short informative video capsules; these videos will contain general information about  selected examples of Mesoamerican Art from the past, but also interviews with specialists, and artists that are researching or being inspired by the Mesoamerican heritage. 
The program will also offer specialised conferences, where the members of the public would be able to ask questions, and learn specific topics of interest. 
If you are interested, please sign HERE.

PROGRAMME

Video capsules (Mesoamerican Art in a few minutes):
Total time: 45 minutes approximately per block.

Sculpture

Olmec: 8/3/21Teotihuacan: 15/3/21Western Mexico: 22/3/21Maya: 29/3/21Aztec (Mexica: 5/4/21

Architecture

Teotihuacan: 19/4/21Monte Alban: 26/4/21Chichen Itza: 3/5/21Tajin: 10/5/21Aztec Architecture: 17/5/21

Mural Painting

Formative period. Examples: 31/5/21Teotihuacan: 7/6/21Calakmul: 14/6/21Monte Alban: 21/6/21Interview with contemporary artists: 28/6/21

Literature

The importance of the oral tradition in Mesoamerica: 12/7/21Mesoamerican writing systems: 19/7/21Maya literature: 26/7/21Aztec poetry: 2/8/21Interview with contemporary researchers of Mesoamerican languages: 9/8/21) 

Music /dance/fashion.

Mesoamerican musical instruments: 23/8/21Representation of dancers and dances: 30/8/21Importance of textile art in Mesoamerica: 6/9/21Examples of jewellery and embroidery: 13/9/21Interviews with contemporary artist and researchers: 20/9/21

 Conferences: 45 minutes plus Q&A

Zoom links to be published 2 weeks before the presentation.

  1.-Mesoamerican Art: introduction to Mesoamerican cosmogony (12/4/21  2.-The religious importance of Mesoamerican Architecture (24/5/21  3.- Introduction to Mesoamerican Iconography (5/7/21  4.-The Mesoamerican codices. British Collection (16/8/21  5.- Hierarchy and attire in Mesoamerican Art (27/9/21

About the intructor:

Dr. Angelica Baena Ramirez is a Mexican specialist in Mesoamerican Studies (UNAM), currently located in the United Kingdom. She accomplished a doctoral internship at the University of Warsaw. Her PhD dissertation, focused on the pictorial representation of human sacrifice in pre-Hispanic codices, particularly on the central plates of the Codex Borgia.

 She is a former Lecturer of Mesoamerican Art and Literature at the Faculty of History (FES Acatlan), National Autonomous University of Mexico. 

Also, she has participated as a lecturer in a number of international academic meetings in Mexico, Peru, Argentina, Spain, England and Poland. She is currently involved in the composition of a libretti of an original opera based on Aztec History. As well, she is collaborating with Mexicolore and the UK Mexican Arts Society. 

She has published several articles in books and academic journals, including:

(2019) “Sacrifice in the Codex Borgia. Examples from an inventory of phrases”.  In: Katarzyna Mikulska and Jerome Offner (ed).  Indigenous Graphic Communication Systems. A theoretical approach. University of Colorado: 23-53.

(2018) “Las láminas centrales del llamado Códice Borgia. Una secuencia ritual de acceso al poder (láminas 35 a la 43)” In: Juan José Batalla, José Luis de Rojas and Lisandro Pérez Lugones (coord). Códices y cultura indígena de México. Homenaje a Alfonso Lacadena García-Gallo. Distinta Tinta: 11-44.  

(2017)“Metonymic and metaphoric Series in the Codex Borgia. Plates 33-34”. Visible Language. The journal of visual communication research. University of Cincinnati (51.2): 62-79.

(2014)” Metáforas, metonimias y digrafismos en la parte central del Codice Borgia (29-32)”. Itinerarios. University of Warsaw (20): 199-224.

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