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.

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, ad hoc meetings will be planned with art professionals (curators, artists, museum directors, gallery owners, collectors, registrars, project managers etc).

The course introduction will deal with theoretical concepts related to the "curatorial" and its applications in the contemporary art system. Students will be provided with the methodological tools useful in framing the figure of the curator and his or her duties in the contemporary art system. A relevant part of the course is devoted to curators (including Alfred J. Barr, Harald Szeemann, Hans Ulrich Obrist, Germano Celant and others) and to exhibitions that made art history. The final part is dedicated to the activities of Ca’ Foscari Esposizioni, which in the last twelve years has acquired an acknowledged expertise in this field.
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.

Lecture notes

PDF materials uploaded to the Moodle e-learning platform (mandatory bibliography)

Reference texts for consultation and further study:

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 learning outcomes will be assessed by a written exam of two hours.
The exam consists of four open questions. One incomplete answer will result in a fail grade.
The final grade results from the sum of the evaluation of the written test and the evaluation of an exhibition report that is to be handed in at the same time as the exam.
The use of books, notes, and electronic media is not allowed during the test.
Regarding the grading scale for the written exam (method by which grades will be assigned), regardless of whether the student is attending or non-attending:
A. Scores in the range of 18-22 will be assigned in the presence of:
- sufficient knowledge and applied comprehension with reference to the program;
- limited ability to gather and/or interpret data, forming independent judgments;
- sufficient communication skills, especially in relation to the use of specific historical-artistic language.
B. Scores in the range of 23-26 will be assigned in the presence of:
- fair knowledge and applied comprehension with reference to the program;
- fair ability to gather and/or interpret data, forming independent judgments;
- fair communication skills, especially in relation to the use of specific historical-artistic language.
C. Scores in the range of 27-30 will be assigned in the presence of:
- good or excellent knowledge and applied comprehension with reference to the program;
- good or excellent ability to gather and/or interpret data, forming independent judgments;
- fully appropriate communication skills, especially in relation to the use of specific historical-artistic language.
D. Honors will be awarded in the presence of excellent knowledge and applied comprehension with reference to the program, judgment skills, and communication abilities.

Lessons open to the discussions and commentaries of the slides and texts presented in class.
Meetings with selected guests, artists and other art professionals.
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 "Human capital, health, education" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development