90626 - Phenomenology of Applied Arts (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course, students will possess the theoretical, methodological and historical -tools necessary to understand the role of applied Arts from the mid-19th Century until the first decades of the 20th Century. In particular, students will develop the critical awareness and the necessary skills to undertake the study of formal correspondences between the industrial/applied arts and the contemporary artistic events. In turn, students will also learn about the consequent modifications of the languages occurred in relation to technical innovations. Finally, students will also be able to carry out documentary and bibliographic research, while familiarizing themselves with hardcopy and digital repertoires and produce original research work suitable for dissemination.

Course contents

During the course we will examine the phenomena that occurred between the second half of the Nineteenth century and the first decades of the Twentieth century, a chronological arc during which we witness the affirmation of the idea of a unity of the arts.

Starting from the correspondence between the Pre-Raphaelite reform and the Arts and Crafts Movement, an Italian case study will be the experience of the Aemilia Ars Cooperative Society. Subsequently, relations between Symbolism and Art Nouveau will be addressed, without forgetting the fundamental role of International Exhibitions. An important chapter in this path of correspondence is represented by the birth of industrial design in the sphere of Secessions, in particular with the experiments of the Wiener Werkstätte and the Deutsche Werkbund, which anticipate the fundamental experience of the Bauhaus. Considerable importance will be attributed to Futurism, whose Manifesto of the Futurist reconstruction of the universe (1915) initiates the numerous Futurist Art Houses, real design workshops in the various sectors of Italian proto design. Through the Monza Biennials we will come to the great compromise of Art Deco, followed by the international climate of the Modern Movement and, in Italy, by Rationalism.

Readings/Bibliography

The program is the same for all, attending and non-attending students

VITTA, Maurizio, Il progetto della bellezza. Il design fra arte e tecnica, Einaudi, Torino, 2001, up to chapter VI (pp. 1-215);

BARILLI, Renato, Storia delle arti applicate in età contemporanea, (available on virtuale.unibo.it)

GRANDI, Silvia, Gli Anni Venti, in S. Grandi, A. Vaccari, Vestire il Ventennio. Moda e cultura artistica in Italia tra le due guerre, Bononia University Press, Bologna, 2004, (pp. 1-124) (available on virtuale.unibo.it)

The study of the following essays is also required, which will be merged into a collection by the teacher, available at Copy System, via Fondazza:

ZUCCONI, Guido, Rubbiani e la nozione di arte collettiva, in C. Bernardini, D. Davanzo Poli, O. Ghetti (a cura di), Aemilia Ars, (1898-193) Arts and Crafts a Bologna, catalogo della mostra, Bologna, Collezioni Comunali d’Arte, marzo-giugno 2001, A+G Edizioni, Milano, 2001 pp. 33-38;

GHETTI BALDI, Orsola, Arts and Crafts a Bologna, in C. Bernardini, D. Davanzo Poli, O. Ghetti (a cura di), Aemilia Ars, (1898-193) Arts and Crafts a Bologna, catalogo della mostra, Bologna, Collezioni Comunali d’Arte, marzo-giugno 2001, A+G Edizioni, Milano, 2001, pp. 41-85;

BALDINI, Elisa, Alfonso Rubbiani, Direttore dei restauri, in E. Baldini, G. Virelli (a cura di), La Fabbriceria di San Francesco. I restauri della Basilica bolognese letti attraverso le carte, Bononia University Press, Bologna, 2013, pp. 11-30;

VIRELLI, Giuseppe, Alfonso Rubbiani a cavallo fra due mondi, in E. Baldini, G. Virelli (a cura di), La Fabbriceria di San Francesco. I restauri della Basilica bolognese letti attraverso le carte, Bononia University Press, Bologna, 2013, pp. 31-46;

VIRELLI, Giuseppe, Una fucina di talenti, in E. Baldini, P. Monari, G. Virelli (a cura di), La Fabbrica dei sogni. Il “bel San Francesco” di Alfonso Rubbiani, catalogo della mostra, Bologna, Ex-chiesa di San Mattia, settembre-novembre 2014, Bononia University Press, Bologna 2014, pp. 23-32;

BALDINI, Elisa, Alfonso Rubbiani, la Fabbriceria e la Gilda, in E. Baldini, P. Monari, G. Virelli (a cura di), La Fabbrica dei sogni. Il “bel San Francesco” di Alfonso Rubbiani, catalogo della mostra, Bologna, Ex-chiesa di San Mattia, settembre-novembre 2014, Bononia University Press, Bologna 2014, pp. 33-42.

BELLI, Gabriella, Arredo, oggettistica, moda: l’avventura della Ricostruzione futurista dell’universo, in E. Crispolti (a cura di), Futurismo 1909-1944. Arte, architettura, spettacolo, grafica, letteratura, Mazzotta, Milano 2001, pp. 147-161.

CRISPOLTI, Enrico, (a cura di), Ricostruzione Futurista dell’Universo, Museo civico di Torino, Torino, 1980, pp. 252-332.

Teaching methods

Due to the restrictions imposed by the current health emergency, this teaching activity will be carried out in the Traditional method. The teacher will always be present personally in the indicated classroom during this teaching activity. The students will alternate their presence, according to a schedule of shifts being defined (more detailed information regarding the shifts and about the modalities to get access to the classroom lessons will be provided soon). It will always be possible to connect remotely and to follow live lessons via the online platform TEAMS.

Lectures accompanied by various audio-visual media, essential to understanding the methodology applied to the course. There will be several meetings (which students are expected to attend) with some of the authors of the books in bibliography. Excursions to places or exhibitions related to the topics discussed in the lessons are not excluded.

 

 

Assessment methods

The exam consists of an oral interview that will be the same for all students (attending and non attending) to evaluate the critical and methodological abilities acquired by the students, and it will be based on the recommended bibliography. Students are expected to demonstrate the acquisition and possession of the fundamentals of the discipline and the methodological approach adopted, including the recognition of images of art works. In this regard, they are invited particularly to focus on the iconographic documentation that accompanies the exam texts and the teacher's educational material on Platform for teaching support service.

Evaluation criteria for the interview:

1. It will be graded as excellent the performance of those students demonstrating to be able to thoroughly analyse the texts and to put them into an organic view of the topics discussed during the course. The proper use of the specific language during the examination will be also essential.

2. It will be graded as satisfactory the performance of those students with mostly mnemonic knowledge, no in-depth analysis capabilities and a correct, but not always appropriate, language of the recommended texts.

3. It will be graded as barely sufficient the performance of those students with approximate knowledge, superficial understanding, poor analytical capabilities and a not always appropriate language.

4. It will be graded as insufficient the performance of those students with learning gaps, inappropriate language, no orientation within the recommended bibliography.

Teaching tools

Various audiovisual aids. Through the platform “virtuale.unibo.it”, students will be provided with images and lecture-based presentations and other educational materials.

 

 

 

 

Links to further information

http://corsi.unibo.it/Magistrale/artivisive/Pagine/default.aspx

Office hours

See the website of Silvia Grandi