Learning objectives
According to Dublin Descriptors, the course proposes that at its conclusion the student will have acquired:
- Knowledge and ability to understand: theoretical knowledge and the ability to understand the history of art from the late 19th century to the entire course of the 20th century, contextualizing the main protagonists of the visual arts in the framework of the coeval cultural, historical, social and economic events.
- Applied knowledge and comprehension skills: ability to apply the acquired knowledge in the investigation of specific works of art, starting from a real knowledge of the art objects and in relation to the exhibition context in which they are found (museums, collections, exhibitions); ability to apply the acquired knowledge in recognizing, relating and contextualizing different works within a chronological discourse (synchronic and diachronic); ability to collect and interpret data (sources, information) according to a philological and critical approach.
- Autonomy of judgment: ability to use autonomously the method of critical analysis applied to the main cases analyzed in class, having developed the ability to interpret and rework the information and theoretical data acquired for a correct interpretation of the works within a historical and cultural contextualization.
- Communication skills: communication skills in presenting knowledge, ideas, problems and solutions methodologically grounded and correct, structuring a speech with a language appropriate to the discipline.
- Learning skills: ability to learn autonomously and self-evaluation, in order to deepen in an autonomous way the discipline from the historical and theoretical point of view.
Prerequisites
No
Course unit content
The course has two parts:
Part I (6 cfu)
DIDACTIC UNIT A: Introduction to the study of the history of contemporary art (from the end of the nineteenth century to the present)
General program:
- Postimpressionism, Expressionism
- Cézanne, Cubism, Futurism
- Abstractism
- The Dada revolution and the case of Duchamp
- Metafisica, Surrealism, Ritorno all’ordine
- Informale, Abstract Expressionism
- New Dada, Pop Art
- Nouveau Réalisme, Spazialismo, Azimuth, Kinetic Art
- Minimalism, Process Art, Conceptual Art, Arte Povera
- Land Art, Body Art, Video Art
- Themes and Trends of the Eighties: Postmodernism, Transavanguardia and Nuova Pittura, Graffiti Writing, Neo-conceptualism
- Themes and trends of the Nineties (and beyond): Multiculturalism, Gender and Identity, Posthuman, Relational Art
Part II (3 cfu)
DIDACTIC UNIT B: Workshop
In the frame of the course, a workshop class will approach contemporary art places (like museums, archives, galleries, artfairs) and their different communication strategies. Besides a focus on the nature of places devoted to exhibitions and events on XX and XXI century art, the students will have the opportunity to discuss and exchange ideas in a group practice exercise.
Full programme
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Bibliography
For Part I (6 cfu)
TEACHING UNIT A: Introduction to the study of contemporary art history (late 19th century to the present)
1.
- Notes and materials available online at elly.dusic.unipr.it.
2.
Reference manual:
- S. Settis, T. Montanari, Arte. Una storia naturale e civile, vol. V (Dal Postimppressionismo al Contemporaneo), Mondadori Education-Einaudi Scuola, Milano 2019.
The study of the textbook is compulsory for both attending and non-attending students.
A series of in-depth essays (optional) will be given during the course lectures.
3.
Only for non-attending students:
- E. Grazioli, Arte e pubblicità, Mondadori, Milano 2001.
For Part II (3 cfu)
DIDACTIC UNIT B: Workshop
For students not attending the workshop only:
- F. Poli, Il sistema dell'arte contemporanea. Produzione artistica, mercato, musei, Laterza, Milano 2011 (o successive edizioni).
The volumes indicated in the bibliography are to be found in the Arts and Performing Arts Library of the University of Parma; some extracts are available online at elly.dusic.unipr.it.
Teaching methods
Didactics makes use of different strategies and methods:
- frontal lessons (with different critical methodology: reading of art works, philological-documentary analysis, historical-social-political contextualization)
- moments of interaction during plenary sessions
- workshops (DIDACTIC UNIT B)
- conferences/seminars
- the slides projected during the lessons will be available on the Elly platform, after the end of the lessons
- the topics addressed in the DIDACTIC UNIT A will be available also in blended mode, with the support of online materials available on the Elly platform.
Assessment methods and criteria
Examinations will be oral. The oral test will focus on the topics covered in class and the recommended bibliography.
The questions will evaluate the degree of learning achieved by the students, according to the indications of the Dublin descriptors.
An insufficient evaluation is determined by the lack of knowledge of the minimum contents of the course; by the inability to express oneself in a manner appropriate to the topic; by the lack of autonomous preparation; by the inability to solve problems related to the retrieval of information and the decoding of images and arguments; as well as by the inability to formulate judgments independently and to communicate content, analysis and judgments in a reasoned, competent and convincing manner.
Sufficient scores (18-23/30) are determined by an acceptable level of performance by the student on the assessment indicators listed above.
Medium scores (24-27/30) are awarded to the student who demonstrates a more than sufficient (24-25/30) or good (26-27/30) level of the assessment indicators listed above.
High scores (28/30 to 30/30 cum laude) are awarded based on demonstration of an excellent to outstanding level of the assessment indicators listed above.
Other information
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2030 agenda goals for sustainable development
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