Course program
The course aims to provide the main theoretical and cognitive elements for understanding the evolution of the museum as a cultural and aesthetic elaboration of the individual collector and complex social systems. It will address some methodological issues related to museology and museography, illustrating the phenomenon of collecting from its origins (references to antiquity and the Middle Ages; the birth of the studiolo; the wunderkammern; the noble galleries; the birth of the modern museum in relation to the political and cultural transformations of the 19th century, particularly in Italy, France, England and Germany; US museums; Italian museums after the Second World War; the contemporary era). Particular attention will be paid to the role of the museum today, the relationship between museology and citizenship; the relationship with the public and the evolution of the enjoyment of works of art, including in terms of the use of technology and visitor participation.
Prerequisites
A good background in the history of art from the middle ages to present time.
Books
Maria Teresa Fiorio, Il museo nella storia. Dallo studiolo alla raccolta pubblica, Pearson Italia, Milano, 2018 (vanno benissimo anche le edizioni successive)
Maria Vittoria Marini Clarelli, Il museo nel mondo contemporaneo. La teoria e la prassi. Nuova Edizione, Carocci Editore, Roma, 2024.
A scelta, uno dei seguenti testi:
1) D. Poulot, Musei e museologia, Jaca Book, 2020
2) B. O'Doherty, Inside the white cube. L'ideologia dello spazio espositivo, Johan&Levi Editore, 2017.
3) P. Duboy, Carlo Scarpa. L'arte di esporre, Johan&Levi Editore, 2016
4) P.C. Marani, R. Pavoni, Musei. Trasformazioni di un’istituzione dell’età moderna al contemporaneo, Marsilio, Venezia, 2012.
5) J. Barrett, Museums and the public sphere, Wiley Blackwell, 2012
6) P. Grinier, Pour une histoire du regard. L'experience au musée au XIX siècle, Louvre Editions, 2017.
7) O. Lanzarini, The Living Museums, Nero Editore, Roma 2020 TESTO IN ITALIANO con traduzione IN INGLESE
Frequency
Attendance is recommended but not mandatory. It is important that all students enrol in Google Classroom in order to share materials and participate in any exchanges of ideas and discussions that the teacher or the students themselves wish to propose. The course style is highly participatory. Classroom dialogue is always encouraged. The teacher takes into account the students' suggestions and curiosities in order to adapt the programme to their interests and level of preparation.
Exam mode
An oral exam on the required readings. L'esame consiste in un colloquio di circa 20/30 minuti sui temi principali trattati durante il corso, con domande relative ad aspetti teorici e ad esperienze concrete. E' possibile che vengano proposti testi o immagini da commentare. La base fondamentale della preparazione richiesta riguarda comunque i testi della bibliografia.
Bibliography
Raffaella Fontanarossa, Collezionisti e Musei. Una storia culturale, Piccola Biblioteca Einaudi, 2022.
Musei italiani del dopoguerra, 1945-1977, Ricognizioni storiche e prospettive future, a cura di Valter Curzi, Skira, Milano, 2022.
Lesson mode
Frontal lessons and some laboratories in class.Lessons are conducted with constant use of slides, commentary on texts and presentation of images representing the examples illustrated. Work plans and summaries of the main topics and core themes considered essential for exam preparation are often provided.
At the end of the course, the lecturer provides students with summary sheets and a set of reference questions to accompany their individual study.
