Fwd: ARTS AND LITERATURES OF MODERN CENTRAL ASIA

[Undergrad Advising Global Studies]

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Sven Spieker <spi...@ucsb.edu>
Date: Wed, Dec 3, 2025 at 9:03 AM
Subject: ARTS AND LITERATURES OF MODERN CENTRAL ASIA
To: Undergrad Advising Global Studies <global-...@ucsb.edu>
Cc: Vladimir Hamed-Troyansky <vhtro...@ucsb.edu>

WINTER 2026 // SLAV 175C // PROF. SVEN SPIEKER 

ARTS AND LITERATURES OF MODERN CENTRAL ASIA 

Professor Sven Spieker 

Area G: Literature 

T, R 3.30-4.45 in Girvetz 2119

 

Central Asia comprises five former Soviet republics but, depending on how you look at it, Afghanistan and the Chinese autonomous region of Xinjiang are also part of this vast region at the heart of Asia. This multidisciplinary course explores vibrant 20th-century and 21st-century Central Asian cultures through the prism of modern literature, film, and visual art to reach a better understanding of the region, its traditions, and the pivotal periods of its modern history. Some of questions that this course will seek to answer are: What is Central Asia? What is Central Asian art? Are there recurring themes in Central Asian works of art and literature? What are the politics of Central Asian culture? How do films and books represent Central Asian history and identity? How are the region’s profound 20th-century socio-political transformations represented in art? How is its nomadic heritage felt in contemporary works? No previous knowledge of the region or its cultures is required. 

 

sven spieker / professor  / university of california santa barbara

new book curating socialism  

chair department of german and slavic 
convener working group cultures of world socialism

convener working group contemporary art and culture in central asia

editor artmargins

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Global Studies Undergraduate Advising Team

Meghan Zero + Taylor Ross + Undergraduate Peer Advisors

Email: global-...@ucsb.edu|Appointment info here  

Phone: (805) 893-7860

See this page for full contact info