73447 - Aesthetics T

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course students will have enhanced their cultural equipment for a critical analysis of philosophical reflection on things and objects, starting from the basic elements of contemporary aesthetic and from its historical background, with attention being given to some of the thematic areas to which it applies (design, cinema, communication, fashion, urban culture, and so on).

Course contents

The integrated course History and aesthetics of the industrial product (12 CFU, 120 hours) is composed of the course History of industrial design TI - formed by two modules (the characterizing module 1, 3 CFU, 30 hours, and the module 2, 3 CFU, 30 hours) - and from the course of Aesthetics T - formed by two modules (the characterizing module 1, 4 CFU, 40 hours, and the module 2, 2 CFU, 20 hours).

The course Aesthetics for design: things and industrial objects, art and technology covers two aspects:

- A general approach to the philosophy of things, discussing subjects such as the distinction between thing and object, the construction of a language of things, the relationship between art and technique, an exploration of literary and anthropological studies on emotional, symbolic and cognitive ties with things, key-concepts for the study of objects such as fetish, artefact, relic, simulacrum, collection, performative object, etc..

- A more specific exploration of the aesthetics related to the design, with a survey of debates central to the field, like those about the ornament, the relationship between form and function, the aestheticization of everyday life, the industrial arts, etc.

At the beginning of the course, the methods of implementation of the joint work on the two parts of Aesthetics and on the two parts of History will be illustrated in detail. An object, a creative project for the final exercise, accompanied by a conceptual scheme that uses the keys gradually offered by the course, and a notebook will be chosen and used for both disciplines.

The final evaluation will be obtained through the oral exam in both disciplines of the course.

Readings/Bibliography

1. Introduzione al corso: Lewis Mumford, L’insensata città industriale, in Id., La cultura delle città, a cura di Michela Rosso e Paolo Scrivano, Einaudi, Torino 2007, pp. 133-212; Georg Simmel, Le metropoli e la vita dello spirito, a cura di Paolo Jedlowski, Armando, Roma 1995, pp. 35-57.

2. Forma, funzione, ornamento: Gottfried Semper, Architettura, arte e scienza, a cura di Benedetto Gravagnuolo, CLEAN, Napoli 2017, pp. 109-114 e 121-123; William Morris, Notizie da nessun luogo, a cura di Silvia Rota Ghibaudi, Ledizioni, Milano 2020, pp. 277-282; John Ruskin, La natura del gotico, trad. di C. Mattioli, Jaca Book, Milano 2016, pp. 55-85 e 113-115; Henry Van de Velde, Per il nuovo stile, a cura di Hans Curjel, il Saggiatore, Milano 1966, pp. 73-81, 91-98, 171-180, 204-219; Adolf Loos, Ornamento e delitto, in Id., Parole nel vuoto, trad. di Sonia Gessner, Adelphi, Milano 1992, pp. 217-228; Hermann Broch, Il kitsch, a cura di Roberta Malagoli, Abscondita, Milano 2018, pp. 11-12; Theodor W. Adorno, Funzionalismo oggi, in Id., Parva Aesthetica. Saggi 1958-1967, a cura di Roberto Masiero, Mimesis, Milano 2011, pp. 147-163; Ernst Bloch, Iconoclastia e ornamenti, in Id., Ornamenti. Arte, filosofia e letteratura, a cura di Micaela Latini, Armando, Roma 2012, pp. 71-99; La memoria e il futuro. I Congresso Internazionale dell'Industrial Design, Triennale di Milano, 1954, Skira, Milano 2001 (solo la relazione introduttiva di Giulio Carlo Argan e la replica di Enzo Paci, pp. 18-23 e pp. 25-27); Tomás Maldonado, È attuale il Bauhaus?/2, in Id., Bauhaus, a cura di Raimonda Riccini, Feltrinelli, Milano 2019, pp. 97-108; Richard O. Prum, L’idea “realmente” pericolosa di Darwin, in Id. L’evoluzione della bellezza, trad. di Valentina Marconi, Adelphi, Milano 2020, pp. 33-81.

3. Arte e prodotto industriale: Thorstein Veblen, Il consumo vistoso, in Id., La teoria de la classe agiata. Studio economico sulle istituzioni, trad. di Franco Ferrarotti, Einaudi, Torino 1971, pp. 56-80; Nikolaj Tarabukin, L’ultimo quadro. Dal cavalletto alla macchina, trad. di Anna Tellini, Castelvecchi, Roma 2015; Walter Benjamin, L'opera d'arte nell'epoca della sua riproducibilità tecnica, a cura di Fabrizio Desideri, Milano, Donzelli 2012; Viktor Šklovskij, L’arte come procedimento, in I formalisti russi, a cura di Tzvetan Todorov, Einaudi, Torino 1968, pp. 73-94; Sergej M. Eizenštejn, L’atteggiamento materialistico verso la forma, in Teoria del cinema rivoluzionario, a cura di Paolo Bertetto, Feltrinelli, Milano 1975, pp. 101-116; Viktor Šklovskij, Che cosa voleva vedere Ejzenštejn?, in Id., Il leone di Riga, a cura di Liborio Termine, Torino 1998, pp. 105-112.; Dziga Vertov, L’occhio della rivoluzione, a cura di Pietro Montani, Mimesis, Milano 2011 (Introduzione, pp. 9-23; Kinoglaz a proposito di Sciopero, pp. 86-87; Kinoglaz, pp. 98-103; L’uomo con la macchina da presa, pp. 229-233).

Teaching methods

The course includes 60 hours of lessons (first and second part: 30 hours each).

Assessment methods

The integrated course History and Aesthetics of the industrial product (12 CFU, 120 hours) is composed of the course History of industrial design TI - formed by two modules (the characterizing module 1, 3 CFU, 30 hours, and the module 2, 3 CFU, 30 hours) - and from the course of Aesthetic T - formed by two modules (the characterizing module 1, 4 CFU, 40 hours, and the module 2, 2 CFU, 20 hours).

The examination of the integrated course History and aesthetics of the industrial product includes the verification of the learning of the contents of all teachings and modules that make up the integrated course and takes place in a single exam.

Oral examination. Short texts written or discussed by students are welcome.

The single exam is split in two parts: Aesthetics for Design and History of Design. There will be only one mark as the two courses are integrated in the course named History and Aesthetics of the industrial product.

Teaching tools

The bibliographies specific to the different parts of the course will be analyzed and acquired during the various lessons, starting with the tools available in the texts indicated in the program. The teaching material presented during the lessons is made available to the student in paper or electronic format via the internet, also following the access restrictions, according to the modalities that will be indicated at the beginning of the course.

Office hours

See the website of Pierpaolo Ascari