CONTEMPORARY ART

Contemporary Art History, through the analysis of neoavantgarde movements and main contemporary artists, is focused on the "art system" and on connections between history and art history, on relationships between culture and arts. The course has a particular relevance: interpreting the history of contemporary art, it gives notions about protagonists and mechanisms of the art system, useful to be connected to other courses.
This course (6 cfu) is a fundamental module of the whole course Arte moderna e contemporanea (12 cfu) for the EGArt Master's degree, connected with the other module - Arte moderna.

- knowledge and understanding: knowledge of terminology; knowledge of main artists' poetic and works of art, groups and movements in the field of visual arts;
- ability to apply knowledge and understanding: knowledge of how to use a precise terminology and ability to recognize main artists and works of art specified on the program, formulating an explanatory and argumentative exposure about artists' works and poetics;
- ability to understand: how to analyze a work of art or an artist's poetry or a group / movement among the studied ones, relating them to a correct temporal and cultural collocation; to be able to argue with property of language and correct formal analysis;
- communication skills: knowing how to use an appropriate and specific terminology, introduced and explained at lesson or on recommended texts and books; apply a good Italian (or English) syntax and grammar; being able to behave in a respectful and profitable way with professors and peers;
- learning skills: being able to recognize the fundamental protagonists of the arts of the XX and XXI Century; being able to understand how to connect a work of art or an author to cultural and artistic movements / groups or to a specific cultural moment, making comparisons between different themes based on thematic, formal, poetic bases.

recommended but not indispensable knowledge of contemporary art history from the end of the XIX century to 50s, particularly basics on avantgarde artistic groups, the role of Marcel Duchamp and abstract expressionism (a short review will be presented when lessons will begin)

History of Exhibitions and Contemporary art.
Focus on the contemporary art system (gallerists, art critics, curators, museums, auctions, fairs and biennials) and Venice Biennale

the bibliography includes parts of these volumes, which will be specified on moodle at the beginning of the course:

Bruce Altshuler, Salon to Biennial. Exhibitions that Made Art History, Volume 1: 1863-1959, Phaidon Press, London - New York 2008 (e edizioni seguenti)
Bruce Altshuler, Biennials and Beyond: Exhibitions that Made Art History: 1962-2002, Phaidon Press, London - New York 2013 (e edizioni seguenti)
Antonello Negri, L'arte in mostra. Una storia delle esposizioni, Bruno Mondadori, Milano 2011 (e edizioni seguenti)
Arte contemporanea. Le ricerche internazionali dalla fine degli anni '50 a oggi, a cura di Francesco Poli, Mondadori Electa, Milano 2005 (ed edizioni successive)
The Biennial Reader, Catje Kantz 2010
S. Portinari, Anni settanta. La Biennale di Venezia, Marsilio Editori, Venezia 2018
Francesco Poli, Il sistema dell'arte contemporanea. Produzione artistica, mercato, musei, Laterza, Bari Roma 1990

other materials will be uploaded on Moodle at the beginning of the course

written examination composed by 4 questions about the general program (almost one of them will be about the topic or the art system)

grading:
A. marks in the 18-22 range will be awarded in the presence of:
- sufficient knowledge and applied understanding with reference to the syllabus;
- limited ability to collect and/or interpret data, making independent judgements;
- sufficient communication skills, especially in relation to the use of specific language.
B. marks in band 23-26 will be awarded in the presence of:
- discrete knowledge and applied understanding with reference to the syllabus;
- discrete ability to collect and/or interpret data, making autonomous judgements;
- fair communication skills, especially in relation to the use of specific language.
C. Scores in the 27-30 bracket will be awarded in the presence of:
- good or very good knowledge and applied understanding with reference to the syllabus;
- good or very good ability to collect and/or interpret data, making autonomous judgements;
- fully appropriate communication skills, especially in relation to the use of specific language.
D. Honours will be awarded in the presence of knowledge and ability of applied understanding with reference to the
programme, judgement and communication skills, excellent.

frontal lessons with images projections, readings, revisions with students, case studies, possible lectures and visits to museums or exibitions

Italian

Non attendant students can ask advices on the examination program, that will be based on the same arguments studied by attendants.
suggested general book: Michael Archer, Art Since 1960, Thames & Hudson 2002

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