CURATORSHIP AND THE PRACTICE OF EXHIBITION FOR CONTEMPORARY ARTS

The course is part of the core educational activities for art-historical disciplines in the degree course "Economics and Management of Arts and Cultural Activities" (EGART). The main course objective is to provide students with a knowledge and understanding of the curatorship of contemporary art on the basis of case studies selected from influential art personalities and exhibitions from the 20th and 21st centuries.

The 12 credit course in Museology and Curatorship consists of two parts, each of 6 credits. The first part (Museology) is held by professor Angelo Maria Monaco in the third period. Students obtain 12 credits when passing both partial exams in whatsoever order. The final grade is given by the average of the two partial grades. Both parts must be passed within the same academic year, under penalty of forfeiture of the partial credits accrued.

1. Knowledge
Topics will be investigated from a theoretical perspective in order to better understand the main approaches to curatorship. On the basis of selected case studies, topics will be analyzed from a global perspective.

2. Communication skills
Students will acquire skills to communicate the main topics in a clear and appropriate way.

3. Critical skills
Students will learn to critically assess the historical evolution of exhibitions, to position them in their geographical and historical contexts, and to acknowledge their contributions to the evolution of exhibitions until the present day.

4. Results
The learning outcomes will be gradually assessed through regular and active participation in classes, to the proposed seminar activities and with a final written exam.

Basic knowledge of contemporary art history acquired through the fundamental teaching courses scheduled in the master's degree programme.

The course is aimed at investigating the main theoretical and pragmatic approaches to the curatorship of contemporary art.
The main case studies will be provided by artists, curators and art professionals involved in the exhibition practice. On this purpose, talks and webinars with curators, artists, museum directors, gallery owners, registrars, project managers, etc will be planned.

The course introduction will deal with theoretical concepts related to the "curatorial" and its applications in the contemporary art system. A relevant part of the course is devoted to curators (including Alfred J. Barr, Harald Szeemann, Lucy Lippard, Enrico Crispolti, Hans Ulrich Obrist) and to exhibitions that made art history. The final part is dedicated to the activities of Ca’ Foscari Esposizioni, which in the last ten years has acquired an acknowledged expertise in this field. There will be a focus on "the making of" of two exhibitions in the framework of Venice Biennale 2024.
A seminar activity will also be proposed, for which students will have to make an exhibition report analyzing what they have seen using the methodological tools provided in class. The last day of the course will be dedicated to the presentation of the exhibition reports.

Notes from the lessons.

Pdf on Moodle (mandatory bibliography)

Reference texts, for further insights and in-depth analysis:

David Balzer, Curatori d'assalto: l’irrefrenabile impulso alla curatela nel mondo dell’arte e in tutto il resto, Milano, Johan & Levi, 2016.

Hans-Ulrich Obrist, Breve storia della curatela, Milano, Postmedia Books, 2011.

Pietro Rigolo, Immergersi nel luogo prescelto, Doppio zero, 2013.

Vincenzo Trione, Artivismo. Arte, politica, impegno, Torino, Einaudi, 2022.

Francesco Poli, Il sistema dell'arte contemporanea: produzione artistica, mercato, musei, Bari, Laterza, 2011.

The final grade comes from the sum of three components:
1. Active and regular participation in the classes
2. The evaluation of a written exam
3. An exhibition report (outcome of seminar activity or individual work if the student does not participate in the activity)
The use of books, notes, and electronic media is not allowed during the test.

Lessons open to the discussions and commentaries of the slides and texts presented in class.
Webinars and talks with selected guests.
Field trips.

A seminar activity will be presented at the beginning of the course.

The materials presented in class will be available on the Moodle e-learning platform together with additional sources.

Italian

Students with disabilities or those with special educational needs are kindly asked to contact the relevant offices by the start of the course.

written

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Cities, infrastructure and social capital" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development