HISTORY AND THEORY OF EXHIBITS AND INTERIOR
cod. 1001893

Academic year 2018/19
2° year of course - Second semester
Professor
Academic discipline
Storia dell'arte contemporanea (L-ART/03)
Field
Discipline storico-artistiche
Type of training activity
Characterising
30 hours
of face-to-face activities
6 credits
hub: PARMA
course unit
in ITALIAN

Learning objectives

The aim of the course is to provide students with an adeguate knowledge of the history of the industrial and art exhibitions (XIX-XXI centuries) and a critical comprehension of the phenomenology of the exhibition.
At the end of the course the student should comprehend the most significant events of the history of exhibition through a multidisciplinary approach to distinguish different typology of exhibition on an historical perspective; should gain a critical approach to understand curatorial theories relating them exhibit design methodology; finally the student should analyze main issues of specific critical debate, too.
Knowledge and understanding:
Students will be able to analyze exhibitions, as a complex phenomenon of modern and contemporary culture. They will be able to manage with the multiple critical layers necessary for the comprehension of the different roles of curators, designers and patrons, organizers and promoters of exhibitions. Students will be able to identify critical and historical sources inbetween the different disciplines of History of modern and contemporary art and architectures, Exhibit design, Art Critic and Social art history.
Applying knowledge and understanding:
Thanks to the organization of the activities (lessons, workshop or seminars and individual study) students will acquire tools, abilities and competences for the understanding of exhibitions as art historians, from the historical and critical point of view. Students will be able to define and develop curatorial projects too, interacting with different expertises.
Making judgments:
Students will have to face with literature characterized by different critical, historiographical and disciplinary perspectives. Consequently, they will reach gradually capabilities on the analysis and judgment of texts and documentations, and they will acquire the methodology for the thesis research.
Communication skills:
The oral presentation of a brief essay during working group and the subsequent written version are intended as a tool to develop communication and reasoning skills.
Learning skills:
The activities definition through lectures, seminars and tutoring is intended to develop the students research skills and critical thinking capabilities.

Prerequisites

Knowledge of Contemporary art history and Contemporary architecture history

Course unit content

The course will be based on the analysis of case studies that document the history of exhibitions since the mid-XIXth century till XXIth century. The main issues considered are: the role of exhibit design in relation to the different type of exhibition (art exhibitions, and universal exhibitions as a place of triumph of the material goods), then the importance of the curatorial project and of the selection and organization of 'objects'. We will also try to reconstruct and confront the timeline of the creation of 'environments' in the history of art practices, with the one regarding exhibit design.

Full programme

-Universal exhibitions, from London 1851
- Avandgardes and exhibitions.
- Universal exhibitions during the '30s: Paris 1937 and New York 1939
- Fifties: exhibitions and the renovated museums in Italy
- Sixties and Seventies: the new museology and the exhibitions, focusing on Italian scene from Biennals, Triennals and Quadriennals

Bibliography

S. Zuliani, Esposizioni: emergenza della critica d'arte, Mondadori 2012
R. Pinto, Nuove geografie artistiche. Le mostre al tempo della globalizzazione, postmedia 2012
F. Zanella, Esporsi, Scripta 2012
V. Strukelj - F. Zanella, Dal progetto al consumo: le arti in mostra nell'Italia dell'Ottocento, mup 2011
A. Negri, L'arte in mostra, Milano 2011
A.C. Cimoli, Musei effimeri: allestimenti di mostre in Italia, 1949-1963, Milano, Il saggiatore, 2007
S. Polano, Mostrare, Lybra immagine 1988
Allestire/exhibit design, in “Rassegna” n.10 1982

Teaching methods

The course will consist on lectures, seminars and tutorial activities during which the teacher will discuss with each student the topic of every individual research by providing the basic tools for the preparation of a speech and a final essay that will be part of the discussion during the final oral examination.

Assessment methods and criteria

During the course audits will be carried out for the researches assigned to each student, who will have to present an oral speech to the entire class (the calendar will be agreed between students and teacher); and, at the end, to write a draft.
The written essay will have to be sent to the teachers at least 10 days before the oral exam.
The final evaluation will consist on an oral exam during which students will be evaluated on the results of their research work assigned (methodologies, making judgments, oral and written communication skills), on the knowledge acquired about the course contents, on their making judments competences, finally on their communications skills.
A fail will be determined by a lack of understanding and knowledge of the minimum of the content of the course; a lack of autonomous judgment; the inability to express oneself adeguately.
A pass (18-23) is determined by a minimum knowledge and understanding of the contents of the course, adequate level of autonomous judgement and of communications skills.
Middle-range scores (24-26), good level (27-28) are evaluated on the evaluation indicators listed above.
29, 30 and 30 cum laude are awarded to students who will demonstrate a very good or excellent level on the evaluation indicators listed above.

Other information

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