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 to provide 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

Aim of the teaching is providing the critical and methodological tools to address the technical and conceptual evolution of sculpture of twentieth century, highlighting its continuity with the most recent artistic events. In a progression that goes from the historical avant-gardes to current experiences, sculpture proposes new processes, new materials and new relationships with space, involving both painting and architecture in a tight dynamic of interrelation between the arts.

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 20th century sculpture, with a focus on the innovations introduced by the avant-gardes of the second half of the 20th century and their current outcomes. The course will particularly focus on Minimal Art and Land Art, deepening the relationship between artworks and space, in connection with the monographic module on Border Art.

- Monographic module on Border Art: 
The module concerns an artistic genre allowing us to reflect on the numerous declinations of the border concept, from the geo-political and territorial ones to those related to identity, culture and gender. The module proposes a cross-analysis that, moving from the artworks, protagonists and languages of this expressive sphere, sheds lights on the main methods, tools, and interdisciplinary approaches to the study of the phenomenon of borders, frontiers and migratory processes. The following aspects will be more specifically addressed: the interdisciplinary field of border studies, the site-specificity aspects of the artworks analysed, the links with conceptual art, and the issues related to the public use of space and images.

The syllabus is the same for both attending and nonattending students 

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

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

F. TEDESCHI, Luoghi di transizione. Forme e immagini di «passaggio», fra arte e architettura, Brescia, Scholé, 2020.

For the thematic module on Border Art:

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.

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. 

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

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

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

PAOLA VALENTI (President)

ALESSANDRO FERRARO

ANDREA MASALA (Substitute)

LESSONS

LESSONS START

II semester

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale 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.

Students with disabilities or learning disorders

Students with disabilities or learning disorders are entitled specific adjustments, provided they upload the relevant certifications and documents on the University's dedicated webpage. See http://servizionline.unige.it under rubric 'Students'. The documents will be validated by the relevant office within the University (Settore servizi per l'inclusione degli studenti con disabilità e con DSA dell'Ateneo) (https://rubrica.unige.it/strutture/struttura/100111).

At least 10 days before the exam, students will have to email the instructor, Cc'ing the aforementioned office, as well as the School's deputy for matters concerning students with disabilities and learning disorders (elisabetta.colagrossi@unige.it). Please specify the following in your email:

- name, surname, student number
- course name and number
- date of your exam
- adjustments required

Once the School's representative confirms your eligibility, you will liaise with your instructor to finalize the details. The final decision on what adjustments are acceptable rests with your instructor.

Please note that any request must be sent at least 10 days before your exam, to successfully complete the process in time. Please also note that the mind maps to be used on the day of your exam have to be significantly more concise than those you use when you study.

For further information, please see:
https://unige.it/sites/unige.it/files/2024-05/Linee%20guida%20per%20la%20richiesta%20di%20servizi%2C%20di%20strumenti%20compensativi%20e_o%20di%20misure%20dispensative%20e%20di%20ausili%20specifici%20Maggio%202024.pdf