90698 - LAB - De l'archive à l'exposition: méthodes, pratiques et narration

Learning outcomes

Students develop the scientific contents and the adequate storytelling techniques for an online and offline exhibition; they work also on a promotion project. In particular, they acquire the theoretical knowledge (Gantt, business plan, budget management simulation) and operational tools (software) to conceive and organize the exhibition.

Course contents

The lab course is intended to provide the acquisition of skills related to digitization, cataloguing and creation of an online exhibition that tell a story about the section of artistic heritage to be enhanced and thus show its peculiar values.

In particular, these methodologies will be applied to the personal photo archive of Carlo Volpe (1926-1984), an eminent art historian and professor at the University of Bologna, acquired by the Istituto per i Beni Culturali (IBC) of Regione Emilia-Romagna and become a portion of the photo archive of the I. B. Supino library of the Department of Arts in 2006, Biblioteca delle Arti, section of visual arts I. B. Supino (ABIS) since 2020. A few photographs concerning the Bolognese art of the Trecento will be selected from the Volpe archive, with a special focus on artworks still held in the churches or museum and library collections of the city.

The lab will consist of three main activities:

- first of all, the digitization of the selected photos according to the standards of image scanning and their cataloguing on a web-based platform (e.g. Omeka.net, Archiui), following English-speaking cataloguing rules, grounded on the guidelines of CONA (Getty Research Institute), and entering information retrieved through bibliographical research on the artworks depicted in photos;

- second, the ideation of the online exhibition concept;

- third, the building of the exhibition on a web-based platform (es. Omeka.net, Archiui) by establishing a structure and creating the individual sections.

Furthermore, the project will be promoted through communication strategies on social networks (e.g. Facebook, Instagram).

Readings/Bibliography

As for CONA (Getty Research Institute) cataloguing rules:

Harpring, Patricia. Cultural Objects Name Authority® (CONA): Introduction and Overview. Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Trust, 2019. https://www.getty.edu/research/tools/vocabularies/cona_intro.pdf.

 

As for Bolognese art of the Trecento:

Avril, François, Brigitte Maurice-Chabard, and Massimo Medica, eds. Bologne et Le Pontifical d’Autun: Chef-d’œuvre Inconnu Du Premier Trecento, 1330-1340. Langres, France: Éditions Dominique Gueniot, 2012. Published in conjunction with an exhibition of the same title, organized by and presented at the Musée Rolin, Autun, France, September 12–December 9, 2012.

Related entries in:

Hourihane, Colum P., ed. The Grove Encyclopedia of Medieval Art and Architecture. 8 vols. New York: Oxford University Press, 2012.

The Dictionary of Art. 34 vols. New York: Grove’s Dictionaries, London: Macmillan, 1996.

Teaching methods

Lab activities: digitization of photographs, creation of digital collections, catalogue records and online exhibition on a web-based platform.

Due to the restrictions imposed by the current health emergency, this teaching activity will be carried out in the following manner: 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.

Restricted places for incoming exchange students:

Places for incoming exchange students in this teaching activity are limited and are primarily reserved to students enrolled in art related programmes at their home university. To check availability, please write to amac@unibo.it.

Assessment methods

The assessment for attending students (class attendance is strongly recommended: it will be allowed to miss only one lesson) will be based on an oral examination, during which the acquisition of skills will be evaluated by questions focusing on the digital project completed during the lab.

The subject of the oral examination for non-attending students should be previously arranged with the teacher.

Teaching tools

Power point presentations, photographs of artworks held in the archive of Carlo Volpe, digital color photographs of the same artworks, scanner, personal laptop (strongly recommended).

Office hours

See the website of Gianluca Del Monaco