Perspectives on gender in contemporary art

Course objectives

This course explores the intersections of visual art, political practice, and feminist thought in Italy during the 1960s and 1970s. Through the analysis of artworks, women artists' collectives, women- only exhibitions, and contemporary critical debates, students will gain a historical-critical and theoretical understanding of this transformative period. Special emphasis will be placed on art- historical approaches emerging from Women's and Feminist Studies, with particular focus on the Italian context. The course will also highlight the pivotal role of Carla Lonzi and her influential contributions to feminist theory and art criticism.

Channel 1
RAFFAELLA PERNA Lecturers' profile

Program - Frequency - Exams

Course program
The course will cover the following topics: The critical thinking of Carla Lonzi, Lea Vergine, Anne Marie Sauzeau The curatorial activity of Romana Loda Women-only exhibitions in Italy and abroad Art collectives and links to the political practice of neo-feminism Photography and feminism The links between feminism and visual poetry, conceptual art and performance art
Prerequisites
General knowledge of the protagonists and major trends in the history of art of the 19th and 20th centuries, acquired through the study of one of the reference manuals in the programs of the bachelor's degree program.
Books
Students have to study: Laura Iamurri, An Escaping Margin. Carla Lonzi and Art in Italy 1955-1970, Quodlibet, Macerata 2016 Raffaella Perna, Art, photography and feminism in Italy in the 1970s, Postmedia Books, Milan 2013 Giorgia Gastaldon (a cura di), Now We Have Seen. Women and Art in 1970s Italy, Silvana Editoriale, 2024 Additional in-depth texts will be provided during the course, along with lecture slides.
Frequency
Highly recommended
Exam mode
Final oral examination. The mastery of the content and skills acquired, linguistic accuracy and lexical property, and the argumentative ability demonstrated by the candidate will be taken into account in the evaluation of the examination.
Lesson mode
Frontal teaching. Projection of slides, audio and video materials.
  • Lesson code10617981
  • Academic year2025/2026
  • CourseArt History
  • CurriculumSingle curriculum
  • Year1st year
  • Semester1st semester
  • SSDL-ART/03
  • CFU6