Networks: A Visual History

Networks are maps for thinking. They illustrate connections while shaping mental journeys, transforming our self-reflexivity along the way. In this course, we will study the metamorphoses of networks, from medieval genealogies to Renaissance cartographic systems and from modern mnemotechnic diagrams to today's visualizations of brain connectivity to ask questions about the politics of connectivity, the deceptions of graphic simplicity, and the capacity of infographics to turn into art.