67497 - Archaeological Museography

Learning outcomes

The course aims to transmit in-depth theoretical and practical knowledge on the debate related to archaeological museum displays, having as its basis a succinct but sufficiently detailed proposition of the general theories on modern museography. At the end of the course - in which there are visits and discussions to modern archaeological museums - the student is able to understand the guidelines that underlie the preparation of museums and archaeological exhibitions, to propose motivated solutions, to also experiment techniques innovations in the field of archaeological museography.

Course contents

1. Archaeological museum between excavation and setting up of the museum container

1.1 the contemporary public museum: notes on the birth and evolution of the main national and international archaeological museums

1.2 relations between the context of discovery, urban landscape, museum container and content of the archaeological collection on display.

1.3 relationships between architectural restoration, architectural planning and museography

1.4 the exhibition path in the archaeological museum

2. Archaelogical museum technical choices and preventive conservation

2.1 main elements of the museographic exhibition project: relations between archaeological object, space and light of the object and of the visitor/Active and passive protectionof the exposed archaeological objetcts

2.2 materials and techniques of exhibition stands/figure-background-color relationship. Color as a virtual space/installations in archaeological museums

2.3 techical installations to Temperature (T) and Relative Humidity (UR) control/ Types of light and types of lighting bodies: accent lighting, setting

 

3. Visitors' comfort during the visit

3.1 The visitor-user at the center of experience in the exhibition space, narrative, cognitive. Elements of anthropometric and ergonomic studies.

3.2 The project of exhibition stands at the service of the visitor-concerning. His breaks and moments of leisure and pleasure

 

4. The Archaeological Park

4.1 Relations between archaeological area and landscape: relationship to ruins and nature. Musealization and environmental planning strategies

4.2 "Communicating the absence": reconstructions: from anastylosis to recreational-didactic objects, from traditional signage to the new display technologies of the archaeological site

4.3 Service special spaces in the Archaeological Park

 

Readings/Bibliography

P. Bolzani, Lo Spazio delle Muse. Una proposta metodologia per l'analisi e il progetto di esposizioni permanenti e temporanee di tipo archeologico, in OCNUS. Quaderni della Scuola di Specializzazione in Beni Archeologici, n. 22/2014, Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna, Dipartimento di Storia Culture Civiltà, Bologna, Ante Quem, pp. 141-159

L. Cataldo, M. Paraventi, Lo spazio del museo, in Il museo oggi. Linee guida per una museologia contemporanea, Milano, Hoepli, 2011, pp. 89-174

E. Genovesi, Appunti di museografia: allestimento e comunicazione, in Musei e Parchi Archeologici, a cura di R. Francovich e A. Zifferero, Firenze, Ed. All'Insegna del Giglio, 1999, pp. 122-143

A. Mottola Molfino, Museologia vs museografia, in Il libro dei musei, Torino, Allemandi, 1998, pp.129 ss

Teaching methods

The teacher articulates his own teaching proposal based on the following methodology:

1. illustration to the students through slideshows of the main examples of national and international archaeological museums.

2. in-depth analysis of the main elements of the archaeological museography discipline, reporting the interdisciplinary relationships between museology, building restoration and architectural design, museographic layout and museological solutions

3. carrying out simulations and practical tests of an educational-exhibition type directly in the classroom with the involvement of the students

Assessment methods

Program for attending students

The Student will have to prepare 2 study papers, as follows:

1. a written critical analysis on an archaeological museum chosen as desired, based on the document provided by the teaching (Teaching aid No. 2, downloadable from the teaching website).

2. a temporary archaeological exhibition preliminary project, to be held in the Tumidei Classroom (Palazzo Corradini, Ravenna).

The planimetric survey of the classroom will be provided by the teacher

The assessment of learning takes place through a final oral interview, possibly preceded by collective meetings agreed between teacher and students

Final assessment for non-attending students

The student is required to study the following essays: P. Bolzani, The Space of the Muses and E. Genovesi in Museums and Archaeological Parks.

The student is required to produce the following two study papers:

1. n. 1 written critical analysis on an archaeological museum chosen as desired, based on the document provided by the teaching (Checklist, downloadable from the teaching website)

2. a temporary archaeological exhibition preliminary project, to be held in the Tumidei Classroom (Palazzo Corradini, Ravenna). The plan of the classroom will be provided by the teacher

Teaching tools

The teacher takes care directly of finding the professional technical equipment of disciplinary relevance to the archaeologist museographer.

The equipment shown to the students consists of:

- distometer (length measuring device with laser beam);

- luxmeter (intensity meter of the luminous flux facing an object and / or a surface);

thermohygrometer (T and UR meter)

The equipment and its methods of correct use will be illustrated in the classroom to the students with tests and simulations of exhibition contexts.

Links to further information

http://www.teladiravenna.it

Office hours

See the website of Paolo Bolzani