OVERVIEW

Moving from the 20th century’s historical avant-gardes, the course traces the technical and conceptual evolutions of sculpture, highlighting a continuity with more recent artistic events. It aims at providing students with the necessary critical and methodological tools to tackle the new processuality and materials, as well as the new conceptual and thematicc links with the 20th century sculptural space.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The main aim of the course is to provide students with proper critical and methodological tools to address a central issue in the history of 20th century art: the technical and conceptual evolution of sculpture, by focusing on its continuity with the most recent artistic events. In a progression that moves from the historical avant-garde up to the current experiences, sculpture shows new processes, materials and spatial relationships. The latter involves both painting and architecture in a tight dynamic of interrelation between the arts. These innovations are also analyzed in relation to the complex documentation, conservation and restoration procedures that contemporary sculpture often requires.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims to provide students with the notions and methodological tools necessary for the correct analysis and understanding of the evolution of sculpture from the 19th century to the present day.

At the end of the course, students will have to be able to illustrate the lines of development of 20th and 21st century sculpture in a timely manner and with an appropriate vocabulary, and to critically interpret the works in relation to their historical and cultural context; they will have to demonstrate that they have acquired the critical and methodological tools necessary to deal with the new processes, new materials and new relationships with space brought about by 20th century sculpture; they will have to be able to identify the crucial steps in the evolution of the concept of sculpture, from a three-dimensional object to an intervention in exhibition, museum, natural and urban spaces;  must be aware of the problems (documentary, conservation and exhibition design) connected with the question of the polymatericity and multimediality of the sculptural object and installation; must be able to autonomously construct paths of meaning, in both thematic and problematic terms, between the various lines of contemporary sculpture and architecture; must be able to orient themselves among the most recent declinations of the problematic of the interrelation between the arts; must present a written paper in which they must demonstrate that they know how to select themes and problems suitable for in-depth study, identify the appropriate sources, construct a bibliography of reference, and argue in an original manner and with propriety of language the theme they have chosen to examine.

PREREQUISITES

Sound knowledge of the evolution of 20th century art and the methodological tools of the discipline.

TEACHING METHODS

Lectures are structured with the support of multimedia material and designed to encourage discussion on the topics addressed.

Classes are held in person. Attendance, although not compulsory, is recommended. No remote learning is available for this course.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Evolution and problems of twentieth-century sculpture, with particular attention to the innovations introduced by the avant-gardes of the second half of the twentieth century and their current outcomes; during the course, some elements of the history of contemporary architecture will be provided, with particular reference to the most recent trends in museum architecture.

Thematic Insight: Border Art. an artistic genre that allows to reason about the different declinations of the concept of border, from geo-political and territorial to identity, cultural and gender ones. A cross-analysis is proposed that, starting from the works, protagonists and languages of this expressive sphere, also highlights the main methods, tools and interdisciplinary approaches to the study of the phenomenon of borders and frontiers. In addition to demonstrating knowledge of the contents of the course and the visual sphere relating to borders, the student will therefore also acquire critical skills and language properties pertaining to this field of study.

The syllabus is the same for both attending and nonattending students 

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

A. PINOTTI, Nonumento. Un paradosso della memoria, Johan & Levi, Milano, 2023.

F. POLI, La scultura del Novecento, Laterza, Bari, 2006.

For the thematic insight on  Border Art:

G. BACCI, Confini. Viaggi nell'Arte Contemporanea, PostMedia Books, Milano, 2022.

A. MASALA, "Al Confine tra Muro e Arte. Prototipi Monumentali sul Border Statunitense-Messicano", in Medea V.8, n.1, 2022.

Gli studenti non frequentanti dovranno integrare il programma d'esame con lo studio di:

G. ANZALDÚA, Borderlands La Frontera The New Mestiza, Aunt Luke Books, San Francisco (CA) 1987, capitoli I-II. 

J-A BERELOWITZ, Border Art Since 1965, in Postborder City. Cultural Spaces of Bajalta California, edited by Michael Dear, Gustavo Leclerc, Routledge, New York (NY), 2003, pp. 143-181.

The texts indicated may be subject to changes or additions; it is therefore advisable to wait for the start of the lectures and the presentation of the programme by the lecturer before purchasing or borrowing.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

PAOLA VALENTI (President)

ALESSANDRO FERRARO

LUDOVICO BALDELLI (Substitute)

LEO LECCI (Substitute)

ANDREA MASALA (Substitute)

LESSONS

LESSONS START

II semester

Class schedule

L'orario di tutti gli insegnamenti è consultabile all'indirizzo EasyAcademy.

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

oral exam

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The examination will take place in oral form; an in-depth study will be required, to be presented at the examination in the form of a thesis accompanied by images, notes and specific bibliographical indications, on a topic dealt with in the course (the editorial standards to be followed in writing the paper will be uploaded on the Aulaweb).

N.B. The written paper constitutes an integral part of the examination and of the student's assessment: the motivations underlying the choice of topic, the ability to organise the discourse, the originality of the treatment and critical points, the quality of the sources used and the bibliographical references, the correctness and clarity of the presentation will all be taken into account.

Lecture materials will be made available to all enrolled students at the end of the course and uploaded to Aulaweb.

Exam schedule

FURTHER INFORMATION

The paper must be sent by e-mail to the lecturer and assistants (Dr Alessandro Ferraro, alessandro.ferraro@edu.unige.it and Dr.  Andrea Masala, andrea.masala@edu.unige.it) at least 10 days before the date on which you intend to sit the exam and must then be submitted to the roll call in paper form.

Open Badges and Soft Skills 

The course is conceived according to active, interactive, and constructive teaching meths: this will allow students to earn specific Open Badges based on their active participation in the course and the linguistic properties demonstrated in the writing of the paper.

Depending on the type of activity and its duration, it will be possible to award one or more badges certifying competence at the primary or advanced level.