VISUAL ARTS

This course introduces students to the fundamentals of visual arts, focussing on the techniques and languages used in European artistic production in the modern era, from the Renaissance to the present day. Taking Venice as its main case study, we will explore the relationship between the urban fabric and artistic production, as the result of global exchanges and transhistorical processes. The city, where the visual arts play a central symbolic role of creation of collective imaginaries which travel well beyond its geographic limits, is a fundamental site of development of artistic media, from the Renaissance to today. The focus will be on the circulation of works of art and their change of meaning when displaced from their original location to an exhibition space (i.e. from church to museum), as well as when they take on new formats in the age of technology. The history of Venetian institutions and the analysis of civic myths will help situate the artworks in their socio-historical context, but we will consider the afterlife of these works as well in the museum and exhibition contexts.

At the end of the course, students will have learned:
• To utilise visual analysis skills;
• To orientate themselves in major theories of visual arts;
• To develop abilities of critical reading and text presentation;
• To think about urban heritage in historical perspective.

There are no specific prerequisites. A general knowledge of European history and of another European language can be of great benefit for a better comprehension of the subject matter.

The course is divided into 4 parts (painting; printmaking; display; installation), which comprise lectures, presentations, and visits, and terminate with a reading session.

A bibliography, including mandatory readings and further suggestions, will be provided at the beginning of the course.

The programme’s regulations require that students attend 80% of classes and reach the passing grade of 18/30 (60%) in all evaluations.
Evaluation consists of:
- Participation and short presentations (max 10 minutes; 20% of the mark);
- Short papers (max 1000 words; 20% of the mark);
- Mid-term evaluation (slide test; 20% of the mark);
- Final exam (oral exam; 40% of the mark).

This course combines traditional frontal teaching sessions (lectures) with reading seminars, guest lectures, visits to museums and students’ presentations.

English

written and oral

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Human capital, health, education" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development