90706 - Museology in Contemporary Age

Conoscenze e abilità da conseguire

Students achieve in-depth and up-to-date knowledge of today's concept of Museum and of its most recent transformations, both from theoretical-methodological and socio-historical points of view. In particular, they become familiar with the evolution of museology and museography and the major international figures who have contributed to redefine the museum. They develop also useful skills to understand the relationship between museums and the city, as well as with their role in contemporary society.

Contenuti

The 30-hour course takes place in the first semester (6 CFU).

The course aims to study the genesis and development of contemporary critical reflections on museums, their functions and their public. The student is led to acquire theoretical and historical knowledge on the protection, conservation and management of historical and artistic heritage and to study in space and time the specific issues related to the practice of collecting.

During the second half of the 20th century, the definition of the museum, for example by the International Council of Museums, has been understood in a very homogeneous understanding of its finality, practice and progress. This consensus has been recently contested by curators, academics, politicians and activists, according some new national, political or ideological agendas. The institutions are now more globalized than ever, but also more fragmented and divided, with opposite philosophies about the status and ethics of collecting, their public uses of objects, or the issues of research and entertainment. While new information technologies as well as new rituals of visit and appropriation are on their way, the curatorship has taken on a polymorphous form, and is in search of instruments of evaluation.

The seminar activity foresees case studies, the list of which will be given by the teacher during the first lesson.

Testi/Bibliografia

For the final examination Students enrolled are required to prepare all the texts listed in Section One, plus at least one text from Section Two. Students who do not attend the course complete their preparation with one text from section Three.

Section One:

Andrew McClellan, The art museum from Boullée to Bilbao, Univ of California Press, 2008.

Sharon Macdonald and Gordon Fyfe eds. Theorizing museums: representing identity and diversity in a changing world, Wiley-Blackwell, 1998, reprint 2004.

Section Two:

Eileen Hooper Greenhill, Museums and the Shaping of Knowledge, Routledge, 1992.

Daniel J. Sherman and Irit Rogoff, eds. Museum culture: histories, discourses, spectacles, Routledge, 1994.

Tony Bennett The birth of the museum: History, theory, politics, Routledge, 1995.

James Putnam, Art and artifact: The museum as medium, Thames and Hudson, 2001.

Andrew McClellan ed. Art and its publics: museum studies at the millennium, Wiley, 2008.

* or other bibliographical material selected in agreement with the teacher for the preparation of the seminar activity.

Section Three:

Peter Vergo ed. New museology. Reaktion books, 1997.

Janet Marstine ed. New museum theory and practice: an introduction. John Wiley & Sons, 2008.

Metodi didattici

Lectures and whorkshop.

Due to the restrictions imposed by the current health emergency, teaching will be carried out in a didactic manner blended: The course is carried out in blended learning mode: some lessons will be held for all students remotely (frontal teaching for a total of 12 hours) others with activities and exercises in presence (for a total of 18 hours). For this teaching all the lessons scheduled in the first two weeks of the first semester (from September 21st) can be followed by remote streaming via TEAMS platform. Starting from October 5th the lessons and exercises will be held in presence, in those days the teacher will always be in presence in the classroom designated for teaching, students will alternate in presence according to a schedule of shifts (more detailed information about the shift and how to access the lesson in presence will be provided later). It will always be possible to connect remotely and follow the live streaming of the lessons in the classroom via TEAMS platform.

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 [mailto:amac@unibo.it].

Modalità di verifica e valutazione dell'apprendimento

Students will be required to submit a written assignment commenting on a recent research article on one of the course themes. Successful candidates shall demonstrate an adequate knowledge of the contents covered during the course and the material indicated in the recommended readings/bibliography. They shall demonstrate critical ability to understand and explain the theoretical approaches to the museum.

1. It will be graded as excellent the performance of those students demonstrating to be able to thoroughly analyse the text and to put it into an organic view of the topics discussed during the course. The proper use of the specific language during the examination will be also essential. 2. It will be graded as discrete the performance of those students with mostly mnemonic knowledge, no in-depth analysis capabilities and a correct, but not always appropriate, language of the recommended texts.

3. It will be graded as barely sufficient the performance of those students with approximate knowledge, superficial understanding, poor analytical capabilities and a not always appropriate language.

4. It will be graded as insufficient the performance of those students with learning gaps, inappropriate language, no orientation within the recommended bibliography.

Strumenti a supporto della didattica

Powerpoint slides and videos.

Orario di ricevimento

Consulta il sito web di Dominique Pierre Maurice Poulot