Program Overview

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MUSEOLOGY AND MUSEUM MEDIATION

The course takes an in-depth look at the history of the modern museum from the Renaissance to the contemporary age, with particular reference to the formation of collections and the history of museum displays in Genoa, exemplifying the path of museology and museography between the 19th and 20th centuries.

OVERVIEW

Additional space is devoted to the function of the museum and its role in contemporary society, focusing on the international debate on the issues of conservation, communication, mediation, and accessibility in museums, and the related professional figures involved. At the end of the course, the student acquires historical, theoretical, and methodological-critical knowledge about cultural mediation strategies that foster lasting relationships between audiences, museums, and historical-artistic heritage.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The teaching offers historical knowledge on the formation of the museum institution and the role of the museum in contemporary society. It also addresses the cultural mediation strategies of the historical-artistic heritage in relation to the perception of the public, the loyalty to the museum, and the communication of contents through divulgation actions in accordance with ministerial legislation and guidelines, ICOM recommendations, and international debate.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The lessons provide knowledge of the history of collecting the museum institution in the modern age, with insights related to the reality of Genoese museums, with reference to the history of their collection management and displays. As part of a comprehensive reflection, drawing on ICOM and the relevant national legislation, the course provides tools for critical understanding of current operational strategies and the debate regarding the role of the museum in contemporary society.

PREREQUISITES

A good knowledge of history and art history from the Middle Ages to the contemporary age is necessary to deal effectively with the teaching content.

TEACHING METHODS

Classes are held in person. Attendance, although not compulsory, is recommended. The teacher, at the specific request of a student, may allow him/her to follow classes remotely via the "Teams" platform.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The course program includes presentation and discussion of the following topics:

1. The definition of a museum in contemporary international debate;
2. Italian legislation and the creation of the National Museum System;
3. Collecting and museums between the 19th and 20th centuries;
4. The museums of the masters of Rationalism;
5. Types, functions, tasks, professions of the museum;
6. Particular museum forms and particular arrangements: some case studies;
7. Museum mediation in museums: themes, tools, projects, occasions, and perspectives;
8. The 100 words of a museum: from theory to practice;
9. Museums and digital culture;
10. Museum mediation activities: communication, educational services, temporary exhibitions, accessibility.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

• IL MUSEO OGGI. Modelli museologici e museografici nell'era della digital transformation, Lucia Cataldo, Marta Paraventi, Milano, Hoepli, Nuova edizione, 2024
• I MUSEI E GLI ALLESTIMENTI DI FRANCO ALBINI, F. Bucci, A. Rossari, 2005
• IL MUSEO NEL MONDO CONTEMPORANEO. La teoria e la prassi, Maria Vittoria Marini Clarelli, Roma, Carocci, Nuova edizione, 2024
• MODELLI FRANCESI PER L'ORDINAMENTO DELLE COLLEZIONI CIVICHE GENOVESI. GLI ANNI DI ORLANDO GROSSO, M. Priarone, in A. Leonardi, Arte antica in mostra. Rinascimento e Barocco genovesi negli anni di Orlando Grosso, Pisa 2016
• One of the following books:
  • COLLEZIONISTI E MUSEI. Una storia culturale, Raffaella Fontanarossa, Torino, Einaudi, 2022
  • CHE COS'E' UN MUSEO, Maria Vittoria Marini Clarelli, Nuova edizione, 2021
  • IMMAGINARE IL MUSEO, Riflessioni sulla didattica e il pubblico, Maria Teresa Balboni Brizza, 2021
  • UN PATRIMONIO DI STORIE, La narrazione nei musei, una risorsa per la cittadinanza culturale, a cura di S. Bodo, S. Mascheroni, M.G. Panigada, 2016
  • PER UNA CRITICA DELLA MUSEOGRAFIA DEL NOVECENTO IN ITALIA. IL "SAPER MOSTRARE" DI CARLO SCARPA, M. Dalai Emiliani, 2008
  • LAVORARE NEI MUSEI, Alessandra Mottola Molfino, Cristina Morigi Govi, 2004

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

• Eliana Carrara
• Margherita Priarone
• Anna Manzitti

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The examination will consist of an oral test in which the student will be required to demonstrate knowledge of the history of museum formation and displays between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and to be able to critically discuss problems related to the function of the modern museum.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The assessment will take the form of an oral examination that will test knowledge and comprehension of the bibliography, the ability to make connections between the topics covered, and critical and personal reflection skills.

LESSONS

LESSONS START

Classes will begin on Tuesday, 23 September.

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available on the Portale EasyAcademy.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Examinations will be held in person and in the lecturer's office. Erasmus students not proficient in Italian may request a substitutive bibliography and take the examination in English (or French). Students with disabilities or learning disorders are entitled to specific adjustments, provided they upload the relevant certifications and documents on the University's dedicated webpage.