INVESTIGATING MUSEUM COLLECTIONS: A COMBINATION OF DIGITAL AND TECHNICAL ART HISTORY

The course explores different approaches to accessing contemporary art collections in their digital context. This will be achieved through an examination of their general characteristics, case studies, and the use of specific metadata standards and thesauri. The role of the digital will be analyzed from two perspectives: the creation, management, preservation, and exhibition of new media art, and the use of computer-based tools for management and research. Through a combination of theoretical exploration of artworks and practical exercises with data, students will learn the fundamentals and challenges of the field. Essentially, the digital will be presented as both an object and a tool of inquiry, providing students with a broad understanding of the role of collections and digital archives, as well as the appropriate tools needed to ensure unified access.

- Critical comprehension skills: A general understanding of digital culture within the contemporary art system, which includes a basic knowledge of possible research and exhibition strategies.
- Access and analysis skills: Practical experience in accessing and composing data that constitutes digital archives.
- Communicative and terminological skills: Utilization of appropriate terms to characterize topics and expressions of the specific language of art history; ability to present and describe complex ideas in a clear and concise manner.

No specific prerequisites are needed. However, a basic knowledge of 20th-21st century art is preferred.

The course aims to explore the relationship between digital culture as applied to contemporary art and the tools that contribute to its public study, such as collections, exhibitions, computerized systems for research, or access to visual sources. We will begin with a brief historical overview before delving into case studies that explore hypotheses for studying and exhibiting digital art. Using specific frameworks for analyzing archives and accessing resources through unified semantic keys, we will then move to more practical activities.

The following texts are intended to provide an overview of the context and should be considered illustrative. More details on the bibliography and internal chapters will be provided during class.

Brown, K. (Ed.). (2020). The Routledge Companion to Digital Humanities and Art History. Routledge.
Grau, O., Hoth, J., & Wandl-Vogt, E. (Eds.). (2019). Digital Art Through the Looking Glass: New Strategies for Archiving, Collecting and Preserving in Digital Humanities. Edition Donau-Universität Krems.
Salarelli, A., International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF): a panoramic view, JLIST, 8 (2017).

To test students' understanding of the topics and practical tasks covered in the course, they will be required to present a small research project, including an introductory section that clarifies methodology and context. Students will be invited to present preliminary results of their essay in class during the last few days of the course as an important opportunity for discussion. Non-participating students must contact the teacher.

The course will be divided into two distinct parts: the first part will consist of lectures on topics related to digital art collections and case studies related to specific exhibitions or research; and the second part will allow students to get hands-on experience with computer-based tools for data collection and visualization. Attendance is highly recommended.

English

Language course: English

written and oral

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Circular economy, innovation, work" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development