BERGAMO
Overview
Date/time interval
Syllabus
Course Objectives
In terms of knowledge, the educational objectives are:
_to familiarise students with the evolution of 20th and 21st century art history in relation to languages, claims, modes of circulation and promotion, and market configurations;
_to familiarise oneself with the historical evolution of the relationship between art history and visual studies;
_to know the fundamental theories relating to image analysis in relation to the cultural context from which that image emerges and to which it is addressed;
_to know the main semiotic, rhetorical and cultural structures of visual communication.
In terms of skills, the learning objectives are:
_to develop the ability to critically interpret images;
_to be able to place images within their historical and philosophical context, interpreting their anthropological, sociological and political implications, as well as their formal and technical ones.
Course Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of 20th and 21st century cultural history.
Teaching Methods
The course consists of lectures supported by slides, which are made available weekly via the Moodle platform. Active participation is required and encouraged, as this is a course that aims to develop critical tools for interpreting images with a focus on contemporary issues. Throughout the course, attending students will be invited to read materials (articles and short essays) made available on Moodle and to discuss them in class. These texts are an integral part of the programme and will be discussed during the exam.
If the number of students enrolled allows, visits to museums and public spaces in the area will also be organised. A number of experts will also be invited to share their professional experiences with students, also with a view to providing guidance.
Assessment Methods
The exam takes the form of an oral interview, aimed at verifying the acquisition of the skills and knowledge specified in the training objectives both through the study of the texts in the bibliography and, for attending students, through the understanding of the contents developed and discussed in class.
At their discretion, those who wish may bring to the exam an in-depth analysis of ONLY ONE work of the 20th century that raises significant questions regarding the issue of "othering/Primitivism". This in-depth analysis, the presentation of which may not last more than 7-8 minutes, may be accompanied by slides (on your own media, digital or paper, not on a pen-drive). It is not necessary to agree on the subject of this in-depth analysis, and indeed its identification will be the subject of evaluation. It is suggested to favor works that are interesting on a critical and dialogic level, which can be easily inserted into the critical issues highlighted by the course.
The vote, on a thirty point scale, is based on the following factors:
_ability to critically read the artistic-cultural phenomena studied in their cultural, social, political complexity;
_understanding of the relationship between the artistic code and the communicative code in a broad sense;
_ability to place the production of an artist within his/her own socio-cultural context;
_precision of language.
Contents
The course is situated within a methodological perspective that draws on art history and the history of art criticism, analyzing the evolution of the image in relation to the different “ways of seeing” (Berger) that have developed throughout history, with a particular focus on the first half of the twentieth century.
The course examines the evolution of visual dispositifs, questioning the Eurocentric paradigm from the emergence of iconology, through the artistic Avant-gardes and the attraction to the “Other” typical of primitivism, with particular emphasis on diaspora and decolonial artists. The history of museums, world fairs, and exhibitions, along with their specific dispositifs (the diorama, the display case, the “human zoo,” etc.), constitutes one of the main axes through which the evolution of ways of seeing will be explored.
Online Resources
More information
International students are invited to contact th eprofessor to agree on a personalized program.
Students with BES or DSA are invited to share their personalized study plans and any requests that can help them follow the course with the greatest ease and satisfaction possible.
Everyone is invited to register for the platform (Moodle) as soon as possible, in order to download the slides and materials made available. Moodle will also be the tool used for communication between the professor and students (chat for notices, changes in timetable, planning of outings, etc.).