90694 - Displaying Photography in Art and in Cultural & Creative Industries

Learning outcomes

Students acquire the fundamental historical and theoretical knowledge that puts photography at the heart of artistic practices and of the cultural and creative industry. In particular, they develop methodological tools and interpretative skills useful to recognize the styles and poetics of the photographic display. They are also able to analyse and comment on display types with critical awareness.

Course contents

Students develop the critical and historical tools to appreciate the link between art and social engagement, particularly but not exclusively, in relation to the politics of representation and around the role of contemporary art practices in activating processes of gathering, assembling and commoning. They mature the skills to analyse and contextualize the main artistic currents within visual and conceptual art, both within the western context and regarding wider decolonial processes. They are also able to critically assess artistic practices, carry out independent research and activate their knowledge in the urban context, in critical dialogue with existing cultural and social institutions.

Readings/Bibliography

BEECH, DAVE 2019. Art and Post-Capitalism. Aesthetic Labour, Automation and Value Production. London: Pluto Press.

BISHOP, CLAIRE 2012 Artificial Hells: Participatory Art and the Politics of Spectatorship. London and New York: Verso.

DE ANGELIS, MASSIMO. 2017. Omnia Sunt Communia. On the Commons and the Transformation to Postcapitalism.

KESTER, GRANT. 2011. The One and the Many: Contemporary Collaborative Art in a Global Context. Durham: Duke University Press.

HAIVEN, MAX 2018. Art After Money. Money After Art. Creative Strategies Against Financialization. London: Pluto Press.

LA BERGE, CLAIRE 2019. Wages Against Artwork. Duke University Press.

LOYD, DAVID. 2019. Under Representation. The Racial Regime of Aesthetics. New York: Fordham University

MOLLONA, MASSIMILIANO. 2021. ART/COMMONS. Anthropology Beyond Capitalism.

Teaching methods

The course is based on a mix of frontal lectures and class seminars in which students are expected to engage actively with the theoretical material including through individual and group presentations and collective discussion. The cycle of lectures may be integrated with masterclasses by invited speakers.

Assessment methods

One written exam of the duration of 2 hours based on one open question, and with no word limit.

Students are expected to show good knowledge of the theoretical material, to be able to critically analyse such material and to formulate arguments clearly and confidently.

Marks are as below:

30 e lode: excellent

30: extremely good

29-27: very good.

26-24: good

23-21: pass high

20-18:pass low

<18:fail.

Teaching tools

Powerpoint, Film projection,

Office hours

See the website of Massimiliano Nicola Mollona