Paris: On Images

On Images: Picturing Paris, repetition or revelation?
Laura Letinsky, Professor in the Department of Visual Arts

Visual art has many definitions and has had many uses. This class aims to investigate some of the strategies employed in the visual realm including but not exclusive to art. We will be using photographic and other strategies to question issues of sight, perception, and aesthetics as they relate to art making and viewing. Students will have a hands-on experience with various practices of image making so as to understand materially and conceptually these means of thinking and communicating. Students will develop an understanding of how, like words, images make meaning. Like language, visual form is the “stuff” through which we communicate, and again, like words, has its resistances, fluidities, misfires, and relevancies dependent upon the context of its production and reception. The “texts” for this class will include Paris’ museums, galleries, as well as its streets (public) and intimate spaces (private).

Faculty who teach on this program rotate from year to year. The faculty roster is designated by the program faculty director.

Headquarters for the College’s study abroad programs in Paris is the University of Chicago John W. Boyer Center in Paris, the University’s teaching and research hub in Europe. Since 2003, the Center has been home to a growing array of the College’s hallmark Study Abroad programs and has supported our community of students, faculty, alumni, and partners from around the world. Designed by Studio Gang, the new Center features state-of-the-art classrooms, offices, event and reception spaces, and gathering areas for students, among other features.

Students in the Visual Arts program are housed in a residence hall within the Cité Internationale Universitaire (Cité). The Cité, a park-like residential complex in the fourteenth arrondissement, is the international student campus in Paris, though French students also live there. Students reside in single rooms with a private bath and have access to Cité facilities, including a library, theater, laundry, and athletic facilities. Students will have access to common kitchens in the residence halls and can purchase inexpensive meals at the Cité’s restaurant universitaire.

It is important to recognize the cultural context of student housing in France and understand that the amenities of dormitory facilities may vary. Although some of these differences may take some getting used to, remember that cultural differences extend to all aspects of your experience abroad. Having realistic expectations for your term in Paris will help you approach the study abroad experience with a positive attitude.

Participants in the Paris program will take and receive credit for one 100-unit course. This course is considered part of the students’ Summer Quarter course load and is recorded as a course enrollment on their Summer Quarter registration. The September Visual Arts course is taught in English and there are no language prerequisites to apply.

The Visual Arts course will be listed in the Department of Visual Arts (DoVA) and will be accepted as a credit toward the general education requirement in the arts (Arts Core). The use of the program course in any other major or minor must be approved by the undergraduate chair of the respective department. The course title, units of credit, and grade are placed on the College transcript.

Completion of a September course abroad will earn students 1 point toward Global Honors, the College’s recognition of exceptional global engagement. Visit the Chicago Language Center’s website for information on how to apply for Global Honors.

Study abroad students pay regular Summer Quarter tuition at the one-course rate, a program fee, and a nonrefundable study abroad administrative fee. The tuition and program fee are paid in conformity with the home campus payment schedule, and a deposit toward the nonrefundable study abroad administrative fee is submitted when accepting a place in a program. Precise figures for the Paris program during the 2024-2025 year are listed below:

Summer tuition for one course

Study abroad administrative fee: $675

Paris September program fee: $4,000

Previous program participants report spending in the range of $200 to $250 per week on meals and incidentals while on the program, though frugal students may spend less, and others could spend much more. Bear in mind that the cost of living in Paris is relatively high and that, while it is possible to live frugally, it is also possible to run short of money if you are unwary. It is therefore essential that you budget your funds, managing your resources so that they last for the duration of the program. If you are planning to travel before or after the program or on weekends, you should budget accordingly.

Participants in summer College-sponsored programs are eligible for need-based financial aid, following the procedure described on the Summer and September Aid page of the Financial Aid website. For more information about financial aid resources, please see our general Tuition, Fees, and Funding section.

The September program is open to University of Chicago undergraduate students only. Applications from outside the University are not accepted.

The program is designed for undergraduates in good academic and disciplinary standing who are beyond their first year in the College. While the program stipulates no minimum grade point average, an applicant’s transcript should demonstrate that they are a serious student who will make the most of this opportunity. Because the course is taught in English, there is no language prerequisite to apply.

Each application is examined on the basis of the student’s scholastic record and personal statement. If you are interested in applying for this program please fill out the online application.

To discuss the Paris: On Images September course and the possibility of participating, please contact Michaela Foreman.