Explore the ideologies behind landscapes and its perception in Southeast Asia

This course delves into how landscapes in art reveal underlying ideologies in late 19th- and early 20th-century Southeast Asia. While “landscape” as a genre has been seen as a reflection of lived reality, its subjects were also shaped by the widespread colonial rule and socio-cultural turn of the time. From landscape paintings to colonial photography, we explore a rich tapestry of perspectives and techniques, uncovering how artists in the region progressively turn away from colonial ideologies to express ideas of change and nation-building.

Online Courses on Southeast Asian Art

Developed by National Gallery Singapore, Online Courses on Southeast Asian Art introduces audiences to the richness of art from the region.

At your own pace, journey with artists, curators and researchers through insightful videos, short readings, and resources. We also invite you to exchange ideas with our global community of curious learners.

If you’d like to further your learning, consider taking National Gallery Singapore’s other course, Art and the Environment in Southeast Asia: Environment as Contested Space.

Syllabus

Week 1
Welcome to the course!
- Introduction
  This section gives you an overview of the course. Let's start by meeting the team and getting to know other learners!
Week 2
Cataloguing the Colonies
- Colonial Paintings
  This week, we will examine the colonial and commercial agendas behind selected natural history drawings and landscape paintings.
Week 3
Producing Paradise
- Colonial Photography
  This week, we will look at photographs produced in the Dutch East Indies, exploring the constructed colonial ideologies behind each image.
Week 4
Picturesque or Political?
- Post-colonial Paintings
  We will examine paintings by S. Sudjojono and Chua Mia Tee to explore the building of a post-colonial world and its nation-state.
Week 5
What is next?
- Conclusion
  We invite you to review what we learned and reflect on the ever-changing representations of Southeast Asian landscapes.

When would you like to start?

Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.

Available now

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

Develop insights and perspectives on landscape and its underlying ideologies in late 19th- and early 20th- century Southeast Asia
Explore how subjects of landscapes are shaped by colonial rule and socio-cultural turn at the time
Encounter ways of thinking from Southeast Asia through art
Apply vocabulary and visual analysis strategies to form artwork interpretation

Who is the course for?

This course is designed for those intrigued by the intersections of art, society, and the environment in Southeast Asia, and how landscapes in art reveals underlying ideologies and historical forces in late 19th and early 20th centuries Southeast Asia.

We’ll take a thematic approach, immersing you in the era through a variety of resources. Expect to analyse compelling artworks, delve into interviews with experts and scholars, and explore how these artistic expressions intersected with the social landscape of the time.

Who will you learn with?

Hui Min Teo

Teo Hui Min is Curator at National Gallery Singapore where she conceives and realises exhibitions and research relating to modern art in Southeast Asia.

Sze Y Goh

Goh Sze Ying is a curator at National Gallery Singapore, where she contributes to the research and exhibitions of modern art in Southeast Asia.

Erica Lai

Erica Lai is Assistant Director of Programmes at the Singapore Art Museum, and previously at National Gallery Singapore. She is interested in the emancipatory potential of encounters with art.

Jying Tan

Jying Tan is Manager (Curatorial Programmes) at National Gallery Singapore, where she contributes to growing youth audience in museums through various pedagogical approaches and inclusive engagement.

Rose Wei

Rose Wei is part of the Curatorial Programmes Team at the National Gallery Singapore, with a keen interest in performative experiences that provoke social, cultural, and political reflection.

Who developed the course?

National Gallery Singapore

National Gallery Singapore is a visual arts museum that oversees the world’s largest public collection of Singapore and Southeast Asian modern art, creating dialogues between the art of the region and the world.

What's included?

National Gallery Singapore are offering everyone who joins this course a free digital upgrade, so that you can experience the full benefits of studying online for free. This means that you get:

Unlimited access to this course

Includes any articles, videos, peer reviews and quizzes

A PDF Certificate of Achievement to prove your success when you’re eligible

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

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