This course offers a material culture approach to the study of ice and cold through an exploration of geopolitical concerns, technological development, and cultural fantasies as they cross-sect and impact one another across a range of phenomena, from food preservation to polar exploration. Topics considered include: ice as a preservative of deep time, colonial histories of ice, ice in art, and the end of ice in climate crises. Students will have an opportunity to engage in their own substantive research and/or creative project.
3-4 units · Letter (ABCD/NP)
This course offers a material culture approach to the study of ice and cold through an exploration of geopolitical concerns, technological development, and cultural fantasies as they cross-sect and impact one another across a range of phenomena, from food preservation to polar exploration. Topics considered include: ice as a preservative of deep time, colonial histories of ice, ice in art, and the end of ice in climate crises. Students will have an opportunity to engage in their own substantive research and/or creative project.
Offered in Autumn 2026 at Stanford University.