Languages, Cultures, Literature, Translation

ILARIA SCHIAFFINI
ILARIA SCHIAFFINI

The main objective of the course is to provide a historical-critical analysis on an advanced general theme of the history of contemporary art.
Among the specific objectives we aim to strengthen the ability to understand the works of art of the nineteenth and twentieth century - with views until the 21st century - from a historical, stylistic, iconographic and technical point of view; the ability to describe them with the proper vocabulary of the discipline; an autonomy of critical judgment.
The topics of teaching, as well as the skills and abilities that are intended to be acquired, fall within the content characterizing the Degree Course in Historical-Artistic Sciences

The main objective of the course is to deepen the knowledge of some aspects of the history of contemporary art, with particular regard to the relationship with the development of artistic currents, from the second half of the 20th to the 21st century.
As regards specific objectives, students are expected to learn or assimilate:
a) ability to recognize styles and movements of the works considered in the course;
b) ability to acquire full mastery of the specific vocabulary of the discipline;
c) ability to articulate links between the different readings performed and the knowledge acquired around a given topic.
During frontal and split lessons, workshops, educational visits, seminars, and conferences, students will be encouraged to mobilize the knowledge acquired to apply them to the new contexts examined, with the aim of developing skills of comparing and considering information critically.

General knowledge of art history from the 19th century to the present.

The course focuses on Futurism. The development of the Italian avant-garde movement (1909-1944) will be analyzed within the international background. Manifestoes and programmatic texts will be interpreted next to the visual practices through the more recent critical acquisitions.
The exam will verify the learning of the subject and the acquisition of the methodological and critical tools necessary to understand the topics of the course.

Texts
1) Essays
Futurismo 1909-2009- Velocità + Arte + Azione, exh. cat. edited by di Giovanni Lista and Ada Masoero (Milano Palazzo Reale), 2009, pp. 83, 86-87, 98-99, 101-103, 110-111, 130-133, 160-163, 178-179, 185-230
Maurizio Calvesi, Futurismo, Fabbri (1967) 1977, pp. 1-160
Futurismo: avanguardia/avanguardie, exh. cat. edited by Didier Ottinger, 2009, pp. 20-41 (plus the artwork descriptions, which are useful for understanding many of the works reproduced in the PDF; optional).
2) Reading of the following Futurist manifestos:
• Fondazione e manifesto del futurismo, 1909
• Manifesto tecnico della pittura futurista, 1910
• Prefazione al catalogo della I Esposizione futurista, Parigi 1912
• Manifesto tecnico della scultura futurista, 1912
• Prefazione al catalogo della I Esposizione di scultura di Boccioni, 1913
• Ricostruzione futurista dell’universo, 1915
• Arte Meccanica. Manifesto futurista, 1923
• L’Aeropittura. Manifesto futurista, 1931
• (Enrico Prampolini) Aeropittura e superamento terrestre, 1931
Further reading 1: Futurist women artists
Franca Zoccoli, Futurist Women Painters in Italy, in International Yearbook of Futurism, 2000, pp. 374-395 (an approximate translation into Italian will be provided)
4) Further reading 2: Futurism and politics; fashion and interior design
Francesco Perfetti, Futurismo e fascismo, in Crispolti, Futurismo 1909-1944, 2001
Gabriella Belli, Arredo, oggettistica e moda: l’avventura della ricostruzione futurista dell’universo, in Crispolti, Futurismo 1909-1944, 2001, pp. 147-161
Guided tours are planned (Ministero dell’Aeronautica, Galleria Comunale d’Arte Moderna, Palazzo delle Esposizioni)
All handouts and a summary file with the main images from the course can be found at this link:: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1E9qo586I8Ev6A6K0prX6xIJkqYQlm6ZR?usp=share_link
Parte integrante della preparazione per l'esame sono le slide delle lezioni, disponibili nei singoli pdf delle lezioni (https://elearning.uniroma1.it: 2025-2026 STORIA DELL'ARTE CONTEMPORANEA – SCHIAFFINI)
Non-attending students: if needed, we recommend consulting the book: Fabio Benzi, Futurismo, 2009 (Biblioteca Argan)
Attending students:
A seminar activity with critical insights is planned. Students will write essays, preferably in groups, to be presented in class at the end of the course with the aid of a PowerPoint/PDF presentation. Those who present their essays may omit the essay Futurismo: avanguardia/avanguardie, exhibition catalog edited by Didier Ottinger, 2009, pp. 20-41.
On the day of the presentation, each student will submit:
1. a Word file (4-5 pages, or 8,000-10,000 characters including spaces, bibliography included)
2. a projected PDF (with images and captions, any quotations but with very short texts).
Files should be named as follows: author's surname and first name, abbreviated title (e.g., artist's surname). Group work is recommended (ideally two people, in which case each person will write 4-5 pages).
The evaluation of the paper will contribute to the exam grade. The contents of all papers presented in class are an integral part of the lessons and are uploaded to Classroom.
Please also sign up for quick communications:
CODICE CORSO: 3agmtv23
https://classroom.google.com/c/MTYyMzc1NTc2MDE5?cjc=3agmtv23

Maurizio Calvesi, Futurismo, Fabbri (1967) 1977

Futurismo: avanguardia/avanguardie, catalogo della mostra a cura di Didier Ottinger, 2009

Futurismo 1909-2009- Velocità + Arte + Azione, catalogo della mostra a cura di Giovanni Lista e Ada Masoero (Milano Palazzo Reale), 2009

Futurismo 1909-1944, catalogo della mostra a cura di Enrico Crispolti, (Palazzo delle Esposizioni), Mazzotta 2001

Lectures and exercises will be conducted in the classroom and outdoors (guided tours)

Attendance is optional. Non-attending students will supplement the program with additional bibliography

Oral examination. For students attending the course and participating in the seminar, assessment will also include a project focusing on selected themes and key issues discussed in the course. The project will be presented in class at the end of the teaching period and submitted via Classroom. Students presenting a paper are expected to have a general understanding of the topics presented by their classmates.

How did Futurism’s relationship with technology develop?
What were the relationships between Futurism and politics, before and during Fascism?
Highlight the connections between Futurism, Divisionism, and Symbolism.
Analyze The City Rises (La città che sale) by Umberto Boccioni, focusing on its symbolic meanings and stylistic choices.
What innovations were introduced by the Futurists’ exhibition in Paris in February 1912?
Futurist sculpture: programmatic reflections and concrete outcomes.
The Futurist Reconstruction of the Universe by Giacomo Balla and Fortunato Depero.

• Main Themes and Critical Issues Related to Futurism (8 hours)Analysis of key concepts, critical debates, and historiographical interpretations of Futurism.
  • Books: Slides and materials available on Moodle, along with the assigned readings.


• Presentazione dei lavori del Workshop (6 ore)Discussione e presentazione in aula dei progetti realizzati durante il workshop.
  • Books: Slides and materials available on Moodle,


• Workshop Presentations (6 hours)In-class presentation and discussion of the projects developed during the workshop.
  • Books: Slides and materials available on Classroom


• Guided Visits (2–4 hours)Visits to exhibitions or collections devoted to Futurism to deepen understanding of the course topics.


• Lectures on the History of Futurism, Its Manifestos, Leading Figures, and Major Works (22–24 hours)Lectures focused on the history of the Futurist movement, its theoretical manifestos, main protagonists, and most significant works.
  • Books: Slides and materials available on Moodle