COMPARATIVE HISTORY OF CONTEMPORARY ART

The course is scheduled among the free choice art-historical disciplines in the degree course in History of Arts and Conservation of Artistic Heritage.
The main course objective is to provide the basic tools for a comparative analysis of the themes of the monster and the hybrid body in contemporary art worldwide, with a focus on European, American and Russian case studies. The topic will be addressed through a variety of approaches, from Body Art to the specific theme of monsters and hybrids and, finally, through Post-Human perspectives.

1. Knowledge
The topic will be first addressed from a theoretical perspective, starting from the etymology of the words monster and hybrid; with the help of case studies, we will then proceed to carry out a transversal analysis of its occurrence in contemporary art. The course includes lectures by contemporary art curators and contemporary dance experts.
2. Communicative skills
Each student will be able to clearly communicate and substantiate the contents of the course.
3. Critical skills
Each student will be able to critically evaluate the historical evolution of this phenomenon and to identify the work of artists from different parts of the world not only in terms of historical period, but also of characteristic features.

Basic knowledge of contemporary art history acquired through the fundamental teaching courses scheduled in the biennial degree course.

THE MONSTER AND THE HYBRID BODY IN CONTEMPORARY ART

The course will examine the work of contemporary artists of various nationalities, including Russian. Starting from the genre of the portrait, the course will move on to Body Art, then to various artistic expressions of the hybrid and monsters, to finally address Post-Human perspectives. We will try to shed light on the connection between the art and corporeality of classical mythology on the one hand and contemporary manipulations on the other. The hybrid will be considered as the point of intersection between human and animal, spiritual and carnal, as a metaphor of reality and as a perspective on the world.

1. Origins, etymology and sources for contemporary art. From the Biennale “Identity and Alterity” to the human monster and the metamorphosis of the human beast.
2. The body in art: from the avant-gardes to J. Deitch’s exhibition "Post-human".
3. Chimerization, gorgonization, cyberization: three interpretive strategies.
4. Multiple identities and cyborgs (from Orlan and Stelarc to AES+F).
5. The return of the body and the dismembered body.
6. Grotesque anatomies and hybris.

Notes from the lessons
Slide projected during the lessons
Material from the e-learning Moodle platform.
Sally O'Reilly, Il corpo nell'arte contemporanea, Torino, Einaudi, 2011.
Jean Clair, Hybris. La fabbrica del mostro nell'arte moderna. Omuncoli, giganti, acefali. Milano, Johan &Levi Editore,2015.
Lea Vergine, Body Art e storie simili. Il corpo come linguaggio, Milano, Skira, 2000.
Il Bello e le bestie. Metamorfosi, artifici e ibridi dal mito all’immaginario scientifico, a cura di Lea Vergine e Giorgio Verzotti, 2004 Skira, Milano.
La Biennale di Venezia. 46ª Esposizione internazionale d'arte. Identità e alterità. Figure del corpo (1895-1995), a cura di Jean Clair e Manlio Brusatin, 1995, Marsilio, Venezia. Jeffrey Deitch, Post-Human, Idea Books, 1992, Amsterdam


Non-attending students may sit the exam based on the following bibliographical integrations:
AES+F, The liminal space trilogy, Moskva, Triumph Gallery, 2012.
Cristina Baldacci, Angela Vettese, Arte del corpo. Dall'Autoritratto alla Body Art. Milano, Giunti, 2012.
Chiara Bertola, Curare l'arte, Milano, Electa, 2008.
Jennifer Blessing, Body of Art, New York, Phaidon, 2015.
Tracey Warr (a cura di), Il corpo dell'artista, New York, Phaidon.

The learning outcomes will be assessed by a written exam of three hours.
The exam consists of three open questions and the identification of three artworks, selected among the slides presented during the lessons. One incomplete answer will result in a fail grade.
The use of books, notes and electronic media is not allowed during the test.
Non-attending students may sit the exam based on the bibliographical integrations enlisted in the dedicated section.

Lectures with projected images from Powerpoint-presentation.
In order to bring the students closer to the topics, the seminar includes screenings and lessons held by guest scholars.
The material shown during the lessons will be available on the University's Moodle e-learning platform together with additional bibliographical material.

Italian

The slides commented during the lessons are available in the Moodle section in the Professor’s website.

written