70466 - Aesthetics

Learning outcomes

Comprehension and discussion of some key questions of contemporary aesthetic debate on architecture, its language and link to the subject “city”, through a reconstructive and analytical approach.

Course contents

The course of Aesthetics (C.I. 4 CFU, 40 hours) consists of the characterizing Module 1 (2 CFU, 20 hours) and of the Module 2 - exercises (2 CFU, 20 hours).

The course will introduce and examine some of the main authors and texts in Twentieth century philosophy connected to the aesthetic reflection on architecture, and, about them, will discuss themes like “space”, “place”, “city” and “architecture”. The course is divided into two parts, the first will explore the themes of "house" and "dwelling" in monographic form, the second includes reading and presentation in four different groups of various texts for each group (to be chosen among texts by S. Freud, K. Marx, G. Simmel, M. Heidegger). Some key concepts from the former aesthetic reflection on architecture (Eighteenth-Nineteenth century), as well as the basic concepts of philosophical thought involved in texts under consideration, will be clarified.

Readings/Bibliography

First Part (all students)

The house - philosophical-aesthetic and literary paradigms of dwelling

The bibliographic material is divided into five sections corresponding to the five lesson blocks of this module [of the novels in points 4 and 5 a synopsis will be provided and some programmatic pages will be indicated and commented in the classroom, which will be subject of the examination; in full version they should be considered as suggested readings]:

1. Introduction to the course - vocabulary of house and dwelling: G. Agamben, Abitare, costruire, 2019 (https://www.quodlibet.it/giorgio-agamben-abitare-e-costruire ) and Il progetto domestico. La casa dell’uomo: archetipi e prototipi, Milano, Electa, 1986, p. 9-13.

2. The house between the myth of transparency and the cult of the intérieur – Walter Benjamin: W. Benjamin, Paul Scherbart, Lesabendio (1919), Esperienza e povertà (1933), Su Scheerbart (1939), in Id., Le opere, ed. by Massimo Palma, vol. 1, Roma, Editori Internazionali Riuniti, 2011, p. 57-59, 253-260, 299-302; Id., N.113 and Abitare senza tracce, in Id., Strada a senso unico (1928), ed. by G. Schiavoni, Torino, Einaudi, 2006, p. 4-6 and 110-111; Id., Luigi Filippo o l’“intérieur”, in Parigi, la capitale del XIX secolo (1935), I “passages” di Parigi, ed. by Rolf Tiedemann, It. ed. by Enrico Ganni, Torino, Einaudi, 2002, vol. 1, pp. 11-13 (and Id., L’“intérieur” – la traccia; Casa di sogno, therein, p. 224-242, 432-464, passim, specific pages will be indicated in class).

3. "Oikos" between the myth of the coincidence of language and reality and architecture as a language game – Ludwig Wittgenstein: D. Pisani, L'architettura è un gesto. Ludwig Wittgenstein architetto, Macerata, Quodlibet, 2011 [during the lessons some specific sections of the volume will be indicated], item Aesthetics in H.-J. Glock, A Wittgenstein Dictionary, Oxford, Blackwell, 1996, p. 31-35.

4. World house and life house – Georges Perec: G. Perec, La vita, istruzioni per l’uso (La Vie mode d’emploi, 1978), It. transl. by D. Selvatico Estense, Milano, Rizzoli, 1984, and Id., Specie di spazi (Espèces d'espaces, 1974), It. transl. by R. Delbono, Torino, Bollati Boringhieri, 2008.

5. The nightmare house and The condominium novel – Roland Topor, James Ballard and Bernard Quiriny: R. Topor, L’inquilino del terzo piano (Le locataire chimérique, 1964), It. transl. by G. Gandini, Milano, Bompiani, 2004; J. Ballard, Il condominio (High-Rise, 1975), It. transl. by P. Lagorio, Milano, Feltrinelli, 2016; B. Quiriny, L’affare Mayerling. Romanzo condominiale (L’affaire Mayerling, 2018), It. transl. by N. Petruzella, Roma, L’orma, 2018.

Second part (four groups)

1. Karl Marx, La cosiddetta accumulazione originaria, in Id, Il capitale, ed. by Delio Cantimori, Roma, Editori Riuniti, 1974, vol. I, p. 777-823.

2. Georg Simmel, Le metropoli e la vita dello spirito, in Id., Le metropoli e la vita dello spirito, ed. by Paolo Jedlowski, Roma, Armando, 1995, p. 35-57.

3. Sigmund Freud, Il perturbante, in Id., Saggi sull’arte, la letteratura e il linguaggio, transl. by Silvano Daniele, Bollati Boringhieri, Torino 1996, p. 267-307.

4. Martin Heidegger, L’abitare, in Estetica e architettura, ed. by Ettore Rocca, il Mulino, Bologna 2008, p. 129-146; Martin Heidegger, Essere e tempo, transl. by Pietro Chiodi, Longanesi, Milano 1976, p. 133-147.

Teaching methods

The course comprises 40 hours of lessons (the first and the second part: 20 hours each)

Assessment methods

The course of Aesthetics (C.I. 4 CFU, 40 hours) consists, as well as of the characterizing Module 1 (2 CFU, 20 hours), of the Module 2 - exercises (2 CFU, 20 hours).

The examination of the course on Aesthetics includes the verification of the learning of the contents of all the modules that make up the course and takes place in a single exam.

Oral examination. Short texts written or discussed by students are welcome.

In detail, the verification of the learning objective of knowing some of the essential concepts of modern aesthetics through the analysis of modern artistic languages and their relationship with the theme of the city and of the architecture will be implemented: as regards the monographic part, through the presentations (on request) of individual texts or audiovisual materials agreed with the teacher within the course, as well as with a written exercise in the classroom obligatory for all the students and preparatory to the exam (who could not be present on that occasion is required to agree with the teacher a substitute exercise); as far as the exercise part is concerned, by elaborating a synthesis text for each of the authors and topics addressed in the group, as well as through the individual oral examination at the end of the course which will include questions on the monographic part, on the work of the group and on that of at least one other group.

A very thorough knowledge of the topics covered in the course, together with high critical analysis and linking skills and a secure command of the specific terminology will be assessed with maximum marks (30-30L).
A thorough knowledge of the topics covered in the course, together with good analytical and critical skills and a secure command of the specific terminology will be assessed with good marks (27-29).
A technically adequate preparation and sufficient analytical capacity, even if not particularly articulate, expressed in correct language, will produce fair marks (23-26).
Sufficient preparation and ability to analyse, expressed in barely formally correct language, will result in a pass (18-22).

Teaching tools

The bibliographies specific to the different parts of the course will be analyzed and acquired during the various lessons, starting with the tools available in the texts indicated in the program. The teaching material presented during the lessons is made available to the student in paper or electronic format via the internet, also following the access restrictions, according to the modalities that will be indicated at the beginning of the course.

Office hours

See the website of Andrea Borsari

See the website of Pierpaolo Ascari