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

Academic Year 2021/2022

  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Bologna
  • Corso: Second cycle degree programme (LM) in Visual Arts (cod. 9071)

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 is intended to provide the acquisition of skills related to the digitization of cultural objects, the cataloguing of the digitized objects and the creation of a related online exhibition. The main goal is learning to give peculiar values to a section of cultural heritage (valorization) through the dissemination of knowledge (online catalogue and online exhibition).

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 the Arts in 2006, Biblioteca delle Arti, section of visual arts I.B. Supino (ABIS) since 2020.

This year, a few photographs concerning the early phase of the painted decoration of the church of San Francesco in Assisi, c. 1236-1292 (Giunta Pisano, Master of St. Francis, Cimabue, Giotto etc…) will be selected from the Volpe archive.

The lab will consist of three main activities:

  • first of all, the digitization of selected photos according to the standards of image scanning;
  • second, their cataloguing on a web-based platform, called Archiui, entering information retrieved through bibliographical research on the artworks depicted in the photos;
  • third, the creation of an online exhibition on Archiui, by ideating a concept, establishing a structure and realizing the individual sections.

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

Readings/Bibliography

Useful references for writing catalogue records and creating the online exhibition will be:

 

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. https://www-oxfordreference-com.ezproxy.unibo.it/view/10.1093/acref/9780195395365.001.0001/acref-9780195395365.

Other relevant readings will be suggested during the lab.

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 studentsshould 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

SDGs

Quality education Industry, innovation and infrastructure Sustainable cities Partnerships for the goals

This teaching activity contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda.