90697 - Valorisation de l'art médiéval et de la première Renaissance

Learning outcomes

Students acquire knowledge on the meaning and function of medieval works of art (1200-1400), in specific relation to paintings, sculptures and miniatures. In particular, they acquire the necessary tools to tackle scientific knowledge of conservation - a preliminary and necessary base for art promotion - through the analysis of a few meaningful exponents of the discipline, enabling them to start new lines of research, with direct impacts on art conservation and promotion.

Course contents

FUTURE ARCHIVE IN THE POST DIGITAL AGE

The course aims to provide the theoretical and methodological skills to deal with the laboratory De l’archive à l’exposition: méthodes, pratiques et narration. This is the advice strongly recommended by the frequency of this module to access the Lab.

For this reason the course is divided into two parts.

The first part (I) will focus on the study of heritage and Museum and archive studies and digital heritage, media and communication.

This course addresses the state-of-the-art initiatives as well as challenges and strategy issues in developing a digital heritage ecosystem within the broader context of an emerging digital culture. Case studies are drawn from Italy and showcase the breadth of innovative ideas in delivering, communicating, interpreting, and transforming cultural heritage content and experience through multi-modal, multimedia interfaces. Aiming to offer a balanced overview of digital heritage and culture issues and technologies, the course will show these broad areas, namely:

• Strategy;
• Applications;
• Emerging concepts and directions;
• Tools for archiving and valorisation: Archiui, Omeka;
• Museum, Archive, interactivity and virtual exhibition;

The course is also a framework for understanding dialogue in relation to other commonly used approaches in heritage institutions, such as participation, engagement and intercultural exchange. The course maps out the complex landscape of digitally mediated heritage practices in the cultural institution and Made in Italy, in particular Luxury and Fashion (company archives and museums).

Also the course captures the vital discourse between curators, exhibition designers, historians, heritage practitioners, technologists and interaction designers from the some best practices.

The second part (II) will provide the historical and artistic skills necessary to carry out the Lab. Centered on the early phase of the painted decoration of the church of San Francesco in Assisi, c. 1236-1292. 

Subsequently, in groups, the students will expose some works and artistic personalities that were discussed in class. Activity that will serve to enter with the right knowledge in the heart of the laboratory.

This unit (course plus laboratory) attempts to explain a series of essential tensions between curatorship and the digital realm.

Readings/Bibliography

Students who will attend classes: for firt part (I) one of the books on the list:

European Heritage, Dialogue and Digital Practices Critical Heritages of Europe, edited by Areti Galani, Rhiannon Mason, Gabi Arrigoni, Routledge 2019;The Routledge International Handbook of New Digital Practices in Galleries, Libraries, Archives, Museums and Heritage Sites, edited by Hanna Lewi, Wally Smith, Dirk von Lehn, Steven Cooke, Routledge 2019;

Museum and Archive on the Move. Changing cultural institutions in the digital era, edited by Oliver Grau, Göttingen 2017;

Crowdsourcing our Cultural Heritage, edited by Mia Ridge, Routledge 2014;Preserving Our Heritage: Perspectives from Antiquity to the Digital Age, edited by Michele V. Cloonan, Facet publishing 2014;Recoding the Museum: Digital Heritage and the Technologies of Change, edited by Ross Parry, Routledge 2007.

For second part (II): 

Cooper, Donal. The making of Assisi: The Pope, the Franciscan and the Painting of the Basilica. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2013.

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.

Students who will not attend classes: for firt part (I) the two books on the list:

European Heritage, Dialogue and Digital Practices Critical Heritages of Europe, edited by Areti Galani, Rhiannon Mason, Gabi Arrigoni, Routledge 2019;

Museum and Archive on the Move. Changing cultural institutions in the digital era, edited by Oliver Grau, Göttingen 2017.

For second part (II) the books on the list:

 Cooper, Donal. The making of Assisi: The Pope, the Franciscan and the Painting of the Basilica. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2013.

Related entries Giunta Pisano, Master of St. Francis, Cimabue, Giotto 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

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.

Assessment methods

Oral examination, with three questions on points I and II of the programs. For students who will have attended classes, questions will be based on specific topics about issues and bibliography discussed during lessons (I; II). For students who will have not attended classes, the exam will be based on questions connected with subjects and topics included in the abovementioned texts.

Teaching tools

Powerpoint, Archiui, Omeka.

Office hours

See the website of Fabio Massaccesi