Unit 3: Influences of Beauty and Art

Beauty (Schönheit)

More than “looks good”; a bundle of cultural expectations, values, and feelings about what seems attractive, harmonious, appropriate, or tasteful.

Aesthetics (Ästhetik)

The field that studies how people evaluate and interpret sensory perception (seeing, hearing, feeling) and turn impressions into judgments.

Personal taste

An individual preference (e.g., “I find it beautiful”), which can differ from wider social expectations.

Social norms

Shared, often implicit rules about what is considered ideal or acceptable (e.g., what ads repeatedly present as “ideal”).

Cultural codes

Culture- and time-specific signals of what counts as elegant, appropriate, or stylish in a given context.

Perception

The initial sensory encounter with something (e.g., seeing an outfit, hearing music, viewing a building) before judging it.

Interpretation (Deutung)

Explaining meaning or message behind what you observe (e.g., what an image suggests about ideals, identity, or belonging), not just describing it.

Nuance (nuancierte Sprache)

Carefully qualifying claims (e.g., “often,” “in many cases,” “it depends”) instead of using absolutes like “everyone” or “always.”

Cause-and-effect connectors

Linking words/phrases that clarify influence and consequences (e.g., “therefore,” “as a result,” “this leads to”).

Dadaism

An avant-garde movement that arose during World War I, rejecting traditional norms and using art as protest against established order, including nationalism and aspects of modern culture.

Anti-art stance

A Dada idea that anything can be art if the artist declares it so, challenging the definition and purpose of art.

Absurdity and irrationality

Key Dada concepts: deliberately nonsensical or illogical art meant to disrupt habits of thinking and critique a world seen as chaotic.

Hugo Ball

German writer and central Dada figure known for performing a nonsensical sound poem at Zurich’s Cabaret Voltaire.

Cabaret Voltaire

A Zurich venue closely associated with early Dada performances and experimentation.

Sound poem (Lautgedicht)

A performance poem using invented or nonsensical sounds/words to shock and break conventional meaning (linked to Hugo Ball).

Surrealism

An artistic movement aiming to access the creative power of the unconscious; known for dreamlike, irrational combinations in art, literature, and film.

The unconscious

Inner thoughts and impulses outside conscious control; a major source of creativity emphasized by Surrealism.

Abstract Expressionism

A movement focused on subjective, emotional expression, often dissolving or distorting reality through abstract forms and color.

Bauhaus

A major design/architecture movement linking art, craft, and technology; promoted modern, practical design that connects aesthetics to everyday life.

Form-and-function principle

The Bauhaus idea that design should be beautiful but also practical—form and function should fit together.

Walter Gropius

Founder associated with establishing the Bauhaus and its goal of uniting art, craftsmanship, and technology as a social project.

Functional simplicity

A Bauhaus-related aesthetic emphasizing clear lines, minimal ornament, and practical usability (often described as simple and geometric).

Mass production (design accessibility)

A Bauhaus-associated goal—especially in later development—to make well-designed, functional products broadly available through serial/industrial production.

Public art

Art in shared spaces (e.g., murals, sculptures, installations) that affects everyone and often sparks debate about representation, provocation, and who decides what belongs in public.

Remembrance culture (Erinnerungskultur)

How societies remember and interpret the past through monuments, memorial sites, literature, film, and other cultural forms.

Street art

Art made in public urban spaces (e.g., murals, posters, stencils) often tied to community identity, protest, and everyday aesthetics.

Graffiti (art vs. vandalism)

Writing or imagery on public surfaces that can be judged as vandalism or as legitimate art depending on context, politics, and community perspectives.

Stenciling

A street-art technique using a stencil (template) to quickly reproduce images or text on walls and surfaces.

Wheat pasting

A street-art/poster technique involving pasting printed works onto surfaces with adhesive (often used for quick public messaging).

East Side Gallery

A famous open-air gallery on remaining parts of the Berlin Wall, featuring over 100 murals and symbolizing freedom, protest, and political change.

Berlin Wall

A barrier begun in 1961 (initially wire) that became a tall concrete division between East and West Berlin; its fall in 1989 became a major cultural and political opening.

Body image (Körperbild)

How someone perceives and evaluates their own body; shaped by comments, media images, and social comparison rather than only objective appearance.

Fast fashion

A high-speed trend-and-production model that encourages frequent buying and rapid turnover of clothing, with ecological, social, and psychological consequences.

Sustainability in fashion/consumption

Approaches that reduce environmental and social harm (e.g., saving resources, reducing waste, improving labor conditions) rather than constant trend-driven buying.

Secondhand fashion

Buying used clothing as an alternative to fast fashion; can save resources and support more sustainable consumption.

Self-branding (social media)

Presenting oneself online like a “brand” by selecting, optimizing, and curating images to gain approval (e.g., likes) and status.

Filters and retouching

Digital tools that alter images (e.g., smoothing skin, changing body shape), which can promote unrealistic beauty ideals and increase pressure.

Feedback loop (media and audience)

A cycle where media influences what people desire, and people’s clicks/likes then influence what media produces more of—reinforcing trends and ideals.

Cultural comparison task (AP)

An AP-style speaking task comparing how two cultures/communities understand or practice an issue (e.g., beauty ideals, public art) with reasons and examples—not stereotypes.

Interpretive mode (AP)

AP communication mode focused on understanding main idea, supporting details, tone, and intent in texts/audio without translating word-for-word.

Interpersonal mode (AP)

AP communication mode based on two-way interaction (responding, asking follow-up questions, adjusting register), often in conversation or messaging.

Presentational writing (argumentative essay)

AP task requiring a clear thesis, organized reasons, evidence/examples, a counterargument, and a concluding synthesis.

Museum digitization

The process of digitally preserving and sharing collections to increase access, support education, and protect artworks over time.

Museums as institutions

Organizations that collect, preserve, curate, and educate—shaping cultural memory, identity, tourism, and debates about what counts as valuable art.

UNESCO World Heritage

An international designation recognizing sites of outstanding cultural value (e.g., Berlin’s Museumsinsel).

Museumsinsel Berlin

A UNESCO-listed museum complex in Berlin that represents multiple eras and concepts of art through major collections on an island in the Spree.

Städel Museum

A Frankfurt museum with a large collection of European art spanning about 700 years and a strong emphasis on digitizing its collection for global access.

Germanisches Nationalmuseum

A major museum in Nuremberg focused on German art and cultural history, noted for a very large and varied collection of objects.

Eurovision Song Contest

An annual international music competition bringing together performers from across Europe; a major pop-cultural platform with symbolic cultural impact.

Conchita Wurst

Stage persona of Austrian artist Thomas Neuwirth; gained international attention by winning Eurovision 2014 and became a symbol in debates about tolerance, gender norms, and LGBTQ+ rights.