Studies in Art History

Performative Practices in 20th and 21st Century Art The advanced course is dedicated to the performative component in contemporary art, from the first occasional experiments within the historical avant-garde, to the definition of live action in the Sixties and Seventies, to its multiple declinations in the following decades up to today. In the reconstruction of the international panorama, particular attention is paid to the events affecting Italy. The lectures deal with the experiments of artists from a stylistic and thematic point of view, the places where they are carried out, the ways in which they are displayed, the theoretical issues and the critical debate that accompanies such research, which mostly focuses on the body.

Basic knowledge of contemporary art history from the 1960s to the present (movements, protagonists, problems).

The exam interview will be held on the following texts: - A. Jones, Introduzione, in T. Warr, Il corpo dell’artista, London, 2006, pp. 18-47. - F. Gallo, Parole, voci, corpi. Conferenze, discussioni e lezioni nelle pratiche artistiche in Italia, Mimesis, 2022. - L. Conte, F. Gallo (a cura di), Costellazioni della performance art in Italia 1965-1982, Milano, Silvana Editoriale, 2024, pp. 37-180. Erasmus students can agree on a different bibliography with the professor.

Attendance at classes and educational activities is highly recommended.

The examination interview aims to ascertain - the critical knowledge of the examen bibliography and the topics dealt with in class; - the student's ability to recognise and interpretate reproductions of the works illustrated in the texts. The student's ability to make connections between the various readings and the knowledge acquired on a given subject is particularly appreciated.

RoseLee Goldberg, Performance Art from Futurism to the Present, Thames & Hudson, London, 1988 (o ed. successive). Michael Kirby (a cura di), Happening. Antologia illustrata, De Donato, Bari 1968 (ed. orig. New York 1966). Lea Vergine, Il corpo come linguaggio. La Body Art e storie simili, Milano, Prearo, 1974 (o altre ed.). Tracy Warr (a cura di), Il corpo dell’artista, Phaidon, London, 2006 (ed. it. o ing.). Territori della performance: percorsi e pratiche in Italia (1967-1982), a cura di L. Conte, F. Gallo, MAXXI-Quodlibet, 2023.

The lectures are accompanied by exercises and, whenever possible, by visits to exhibitions and museums. In class, the lecturer illustrates and comments on the poetics of artists, groups and movements, the critical debate and individual works. Topics are covered in chronological order.