History of Contemporary Art
People
Bezzola T.
Course director
Assistant
Description
Historical avant-garde art movements such as Dadaism, Futurism, Constructivism, Surrealism etc. already saw themselves not merely as communities of artists with shared aesthetic interests but sought to overcome isolated artistic subjectivity in collective works and collaborative production. These tendencies were intensified in the Neo-Avantgarde movements of the post-war decades (1950-1980) where new art forms (Media Art, Happening and Performance Art, Environmental and Installation Art) further redefined the relationship between the individual artist and the artwork. In contemporary artistic practice a widespread methodological concept of a “promiscuity of collaborations”, goes even beyond the postwar idea of the “artist's collective” integrating numerous individual artists. Art Collectives today frequently invite, include and integrate non-artistic actors, such as scientists, socially engaged activist groups, ecological initiatives etc. into the process of artistic creation.
Objectives
Introduction to the phenomenology, the historical background and the historical context of contemporary art practices and theories, which question, contradict or deny the traditional western aesthetic doctrine, which from the Renaissance on understands the work of art exclusively as the product and expression of one singular, individual human genius.
Teaching mode
In presence
Learning methods
50% Lectures
50% Seminars
Examination information
Oral during examination
Bibliography
- De Wachter, Ellen Mara. Co-Art: Artists on Creative Collaboration. London, UK: Phaidon, 2017.
- Foster, Hal, Krauss, Rosalind E., Bois, Yve-Alain, Buchloh, Benjamin H. D., Joselit, David. Art since 1900: modernism - antimodernism - postmodernism. Third edition. London: Thames & Hudson, 2016. (1921: Soviet Constructivism, pp. 174-179 1956: The Independent Group, pp. 384-390 2003: Archival Aesthetics, pp. 664-669)
- Hauser, Arnold, Harris, Jonathan. The social history of art. third edition. London: Routledge, 1999. (Vol. I, pp. 311-340; vol. 4, , pp. 234-236)
- Kris, Ernst, Kurz, Otto. Legend, myth, and magic in the image of the artist: a historical experiment. New Haven :: Yale University Press, 1979.
Education
- Master in Storia e teoria dell’arte e dell’architettura (120 ECTS), Lecture ex cathedra, Corso frontale + lavoro individuale, 1st year (6 ECTS)
- Master in Storia e teoria dell’arte e dell’architettura (120 ECTS), Lecture ex cathedra, Corso frontale + lavoro individuale, 2nd year (6 ECTS)
- Master in Storia e teoria dell’arte e dell’architettura (120 ECTS), Lecture ex cathedra, Corso obbligatorio, 1st year (6 ECTS)
- Master in Storia e teoria dell’arte e dell’architettura (120 ECTS), Lecture ex cathedra, Corso obbligatorio, 2nd year (6 ECTS)
- Master in Storia e teoria dell’arte e dell’architettura (90 + 30 ECTS), Lecture ex cathedra, Corso frontale + lavoro individuale, 1st year (6 ECTS)
- Master in Storia e teoria dell’arte e dell’architettura (90 + 30 ECTS), Lecture ex cathedra, Corso frontale + lavoro individuale, 2nd year (6 ECTS)
- Master in Storia e teoria dell’arte e dell’architettura (90 + 30 ECTS), Lecture ex cathedra, Corso obbligatorio, 1st year (6 ECTS)
- Master in Storia e teoria dell’arte e dell’architettura (90 + 30 ECTS), Lecture ex cathedra, Corso obbligatorio, 2nd year (6 ECTS)
- Master of Science in Architecture, History and theory of art and architecture, Historical-humanistic facultative courses, 1st year
- Master of Science in Architecture, History and theory of art and architecture, Historical-humanistic facultative courses, 2nd year