FUNDAMENTALS OF CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT OF CULTURAL HERITAGE I

Part of the core teaching in Conservation of Cultural Heritage and Performing Arts Management, the course is designed for students enrolled in the archaeological and historical-artistic curricula and aims to provide the methodological tools and basic notional skills regarding the conservation and management of works of art in museums.
This course constitutes the first module of the course of Elements of management and conservation of cultural heritage and is connected to the second module of 6 credits (FT0451-2, held by prof. Cupperi).
The objectives of the teaching are: to provide a solid knowledge of the fundamental features of the history of museums and their conceptual and physical evolution, illustrating the cultural reasons, functions and types of organization and set-up over the centuries; to make students capable of interpreting the present exhibition forms in the light of the historical evolution of the relationship between a work of art and the museum context and of the relationship between a work of art and the public; allow female students to identify with awareness the critical issues underlying the current debates regarding museums.

-knowledge and understanding: attendance of the course and individual study will allow female students to acquire the fundamental vocabulary of museology and museography and basic knowledge on the history of museums, their functioning, their social role and their management from past to present.

- ability to apply knowledge and understanding: knowing how to recognize the distinctive features of an organization and an exhibition in relation to its context and knowing how to compare it with similar cases; being able to identify the main problems related to the different methods of conservation and display; know the relationship between conservation interventions and museology.

- ability to judge: ability to critically evaluate the choices of organization, displaying and management of a contemporary museum on the basis of the criteria it presents, recognizing its forms and cultural reasons.

- communication skills: knowing how to use the specific vocabulary of museology in an appropriate way to describe the historical and contemporary museum reality; acquire the ability to intervene with full knowledge of the facts in the debate on the issues of heritage management and conservation by comparing themselves with colleagues and teachers.

- learning ability: knowing how to recognize the fundamental characteristics of a museum from the point of view of organization and set-up; knowing how to place the history of a museum in the broader evolution of the history of European and world museums with reference to historical-social contexts and with comparisons with similar or opposable cases.

No particular prerequisites required, however prior knowledge of the history of art (ancient and modern) would be desirable and a visit to museums (at least of the territory) before or during the course is strongly recommended.

The module (6 credits) will be dedicated to museology and elements of museography.
The lessons will start by addressing the specific vocabulary of the discipline and some conceptual issues related to collecting and museums.
Through case studies related to works and contexts of primary importance, the evolution of the methods of conservation, display and presentation of works of art (from ancient to contemporary sculpture) in the major European centers will be analysed, with particular attention to Italy.
The events related to the installations and the conservation criteria of the works of art will be observed in their own cultural, chronological and socio-political context and considering the evolution of the legislation related to conservation.
Themes of museography will also be addressed, in particular as regards the evolution of educational aids from nineteenth-century to digital apps.
In the second part of the course, there will be a topical debate on the role of the museum in post-modern society, on the relationship between history and museum regulations, on the handling of works of art for exhibitions, on the use of deposits.
The course intends to provide the tools to understand the evolution of the status of works of art from objects of worship or everyday use to museum pieces, through the analysis of the phases of culture and taste that led from the formation of collections to the concept of modern museum, up to the crisis and the renewal of the same concept in today's society.

All students are required to study the bibliography indicated (depending on whether they are attending or not attending). The study of the texts (i.e. the knowledge of their content, regardless of whether the subject has been treated during the lessons) is a it is a condition for the successful outcome of the exam.

Compulsory bibliography for attending students:

- Maria Teresa Fiorio, "Il museo nella storia. Dallo studiolo al museo virtuale", Pearson, Milano 2023, pp. 1-261.
- Maria Vittoria Marini Clarelli, "Il museo nel mondo contemporaneo. La teoria e la prassi", Carocci, Roma 2011, pp.127-154; (capitoli 9, 10).
- Maria Vittoria Marini Clarelli, “Pezzi da Museo. Perché alcuni oggetti durano per sempre”, Carocci, Roma 2017 pp. 11-31; 53-115 (capitoli 1, 3, 4, 5).


Compulsory bibliography for non-attending students:

- Maria Teresa Fiorio, "Il museo nella storia. Dallo studiolo al museo virtuale", Pearson, Milano 2023, pp. 1-261.

- Maria Vittoria Marini Clarelli, "Il museo nel mondo contemporaneo. La teoria e la prassi", Carocci editore, Roma 2011 (o edizioni successive), volume integrale.

- Raffaella Fontanarossa, "Collezionisti e musei. Una storia culturale", Torino 2022 (pp. 236-331, capp. XIII, XIV, XV, XVI, XVII).



ATTENTION PLEASE: All students, whether attending or not, are required to visit at least one Italian museum of their choice (provided they are National Galleries/Museums or Civic Museums that preserve archaeological and/or medieval, modern, or contemporary art works), and they will have to be able to narrate the history of the collections and to refer to the current criteria of ordering and displaying. The visit to the chosen museum must take place after the end of the lessons or, for non-attending students, after reading the reference bibliography, so that what is observedcan be related to what was learned during the course.

The verification takes place through a written test concerning both module I and module II (prof. Cupperi), during which candidates are required to answer questions relating to the exam program of both modules (3/4 questions related to Module I, 3/4 questions related to Module II). The questions relating to module I are open-ended and concern the topics covered during the course and what has been learned from the compulsory bibliography.
Four exam sessions will be guaranteed.

During the written test, the use of books, notes, paper or electronic media of any kind is not permitted and it is not permitted to speak with other candidates.

The exam aims to verify that the knowledge deriving from the topics covered during the course and the basic concepts of the teaching materials present in the university Moodle platform and the mandatory bibliography have been acquired.

For practical information relating to theexams, please consult the Moodle space, the teacher's web page, or prof. Cupperi's one regarding module II.

Frontal lessons supported by teaching materials on power-point, made available weekly on the university's Moodle platform. The lessons are expected to be interactive, therefore students are warmly invited to participate.
Not being able to carry out lessons at museum sites due to the high number of classroom attendances, at least one lesson during the course will be held with a museum professional with whom to learn the more practical aspects related to museum management.

Italian

For any changes or updates, please always consult the Moodle space relating to the course.

Ca' Foscari applies Italian law (Law 17/1999; Law 170/2010) for support and accommodation services available to students with disabilities or with specific learning disabilities. In case of motor, visual, hearing or other disabilities (Law 17/1999) or a specific learning disorder (Law 170/2010) and need for support (classroom assistance, technological aids for carrying out individualized exams or exams, accessible format material, notes retrieval, specialist tutoring to support the study, interpreters or other), please contact the Disability and SLD office: disable@unive.it.

Ca' Foscari has included a point dedicated to "Inclusion, social justice, gender equality" (Flagship 7) in the University Strategic Plan 2021-2026 and has adopted, since 2022, a GEP (Gender Equality Plan): https://www.unive.it/pag/fileadmin/user_upload/comunicazione/sostenibile/doc/Inclusione/Piano_di_Uguaglianza_di_Genere_CF_DEF.pdf

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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