29011 - Historical Avant-garde and Neo-Avant-garde Movements (1) (2nd cycle)

Academic Year 2020/2021

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, students will have learned about historical-artistic relationships between the historical avant-gardes of the early 20th Century and the neo-avant-gardes, from the 1960s to the present day. The course will take an international perspective, which will also account for new forms of exploitation and diffusion of contemporary artistic heritage. More specifically, the students will acquire the skills to use his or her knowledge to conduct autonomous research to understand and critically analyze the main contemporary artistic expressions.

Course contents

The course aims to analyze the spread of the avant-garde of the twentieth century by investigating ways of production and the circulation of works and ideas, as well as the promotion and evaluation systems that have accompanied the emergence of these artistic phenomena.

In particular, the course aims to critically examine the formation and promotion of the groups of artists and movements called “avant-garde". The lessons are organized around case studies, for example of an exhibition or group of exhibitions, a personality, a network of relationships or the activity of a gallery.

The course aims to demonstrate the complex network of relationships, conditions and situations that characterize the art ecosystem, which includes artists, critics, gallery owners, patrons, curators, journalists, merchants, museum directors and so on.

The course is divided into two parts. The first part is conceived of as a theoretical preparation provided by the teacher, who in a series of lectures introduces and examines the evolution of avant-garde phenomena over the course of the twentieth century. The second part focuses on a specific topic. This part has a laboratory structure and is intended to allow students to practically apply what has been learned.

 

Part 1: Theories of the avant-garde, from the beginning of the XXth century to today

During this part of the course, all students connect remotely. The lectures follow a chronological organization, starting with the first European avant-gardes and their diffusion. We then examine international manifestations of the movement in South America and Japan, the planetary affirmation of conceptual art, and the most recent cases of the Young British Art of the 1990s and Chinese Pop.For each lesson, readings in the form of scientific articles or book chapters are assigned. Students must read the texts and actively participate in the discussion.

 

Part 2: Avantgarde and contemporaneity 

During the second part of the course, class attendance will be organised in shifts according to a schedule that will be established at the beginning of the course. This part of the course takes the form of laboratory sessions. Lessons will focus on the evolution of the contemporary art system. Particular attention will be given to large scale international exhibitions, the system of values and the interrelation of the exhibitionary complex with the market. 

Seminal episodes will be taken as points of departure for analysing specific issues (biennalization, globalization of the art market, ranking system and reputation, expansion of private art museums, art journals, contemporaneity theories).

Final assignments must take into account an exhibition of the second part of the course. Each student is required to submit a short final paper, to be delivered within one month of the end of the course. Details and guidelines for the preparation of the assignment will be provided at the beginning of the course.

 


Readings/Bibliography

The proposed bibliography consists of scientific articles, essays and book chapters.

The material is made available to students via the 'teaching material' link.

Selected readings are taken from these and other volumes.

Alle origini dell’arte contemporanea, a cura di Giuseppe di Giacomo e Claudio Zambianchi, Bari 2008

Alexander Alberro, Arte concettuale e strategie pubblicitarie, Milano 2011

Clarissa Ricci, ‘Breve storia dell’Ufficio Vendite della Biennale di Venezia 1895-1972. Origini, funzionamento e declino’ in Ricerche di S/Confine, vol. VIII, n.1, 2017

Alessandra Troncone, La smaterializzazione dell’Arte in Italia, 1967-1973, Milano 2014

Angela Vettese, L’arte contemporanea Tra mercato e nuovi linguaggi, Bologna 2012

Alessia Zorloni, L'economia dell'arte contemporanea. Mercati, strategie e star system, Milano 2016

Non-attending students are advised to contact the professor well in advance to obtain information on further readings and to discuss the assignment topic.


Teaching methods

Due to the restrictions imposed by the current health emergency, this teaching activity will be carried out in the following manner: (indicare la modalità adottata tra le seguenti)

Blended 1: the teacher will carry out part of the course remotely (max 50% of the hours). For a second part of the course, the students will alternate their presence in the classroom according to a schedule of shifts (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 follow live lessons held in the classroom via the online platform TEAMS.




Assessment methods

Learning is assessed taking into account performance on both the written and the oral exam.

50% written work

The topic of the written paper is agreed on with the teacher, and the paper must be delivered within one month of the end of the course lessons. The paper is part of a project that is carried out in the second part of the course. All students participate in this project, divided into groups.

50% oral exam

The oral exam is aimed at verifying the student’s knowledge of the material covered in the lessons and the readings assigned during the first part of the course. Therefore, questions will be asked both on the readings in the bibliography and on notes taken during the lessons.


Teaching tools

Interactive presentations, videos and PowerPoints

Office hours

See the website of Clarissa Ricci

SDGs

Quality education Gender equality Industry, innovation and infrastructure Reduced inequalities

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