Admission requirements
Admission to MA Arts and Culture: Museum Studies / Art History, research master Arts, Literature and Media. Priority is given to students of the MA Arts and Culture: Museum Studies.
Students of the MA International Relations and the MA Archeologie: Heritage and Museum Studies who are interested and who are not enrolled in the Master Arts and Culture should contact the study coordinator in order to enroll (only possible if there are places left).
Description
The spectacular “density” of artworks and architecture in Florence, a designated UNESCO World Heritage site (1982, 2015), reflects a nucleus of some of the most important collecting histories and museums in the world. This course will introduce students to these rich collecting histories, ranging from the unparalleled Renaissance acquisitions of the Medici dynasty displayed in their palaces, gardens and offices, to the extraordinary house museums and showrooms of 19th and 20th century collectors, dealers and restorers. The city’s important museums that opened during its brief tenure as state capital (1865-1869), including Italy’s first anthropology museum, the Bargello Museum of Sculpture and Applied Arts, and Museo dell’Opera di Duomo, will be studied for the intellectual and political motivations that formed them, as well as for their sumptuous collections. The role that architecture plays in these museum identities will be addressed, as will the emergence of Italian and foreign educational and research institutions and modern museums in the late 19th and 20th centuries. The excursion to Florence will be anticipated with seminars that introduce students to the museum and collecting history of Florence, masterworks in the collections, and theoretical frameworks that place these museums in a broader historical context of European museum formation. Seminar topics and discussion will also help students develop paper topics and plan research for the Florence excursion.
This thematic elective will also address the current exhibiting practices of Florence’s world-renowned museums. Within the context of changing definitions of the museum as a polyphonic space, meant to foster democratic and inclusive discourse about pasts and futures (ICOFOM), we will ask, how are the rich artistic legacies of Florence presented today, when sociopolitical questions are also considered by museums? What information is currently provided for the masterpieces in Florence’s museums? How are the works displayed, and for whom? Questions regarding cultural heritage preservation and tourism sustainability will also be considered within these sociopolitical contexts.
Course objectives
Critically review important concepts in museum studies and art history regarding museums, collecting and museum history and theory and relate them to collections and institutions in Florence, Italy.
Demonstrate skill in formulating a research question within the framework of this course and put together a relevant bibliography.
Be able to independently research a museological or art historical topic; critically review the relevant scholarly literature and primary sources; and present research results in a written report (c. 4000 words).
Develop a comprehensive understanding of the development of museums in a city with some of the most renowned artworks and cultural institutions in the world.
Timetable
The timetables are available through My Timetable.
Mode of instruction
Seminar
Excursion
Attendance is compulsory. Students can miss a maximum of two seminars, provided they present a valid reason beforehand. Students who have missed more than two seminars will have to apply to the Examination Board in order to obtain permission to further follow and complete the course.
Assessment method
Assessment
Active participation/cooperation in class/group (25%)
Oral presentation of Research paper (10%)
Research Paper of 4000 words (excl. references) (65%)
Weighing
The final grade is the average of the three grades (25%, 10%, and 65%) A student passes the class if the weighted average is a 5.5 or higher. Marks for class participation, oral presentation and the paper must all be a 6.0 or higher.
Resit
The re-sit can consist of one or two parts: there is a re-sit for the paper (65%) and/or an alternative assignment for class participation (25%) and/or oral presentation (10%).
Inspection and feedback
How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will have to be organized.
Reading list
The reading list will be made available via Brightspace.
Registration
Enrolment through MyStudyMap is mandatory.
General information about course and exam enrolment is available on the website
Registration À la carte education, Contract teaching and Exchange
Information for those interested in taking this course in context of À la carte education (without taking examinations), eg. about costs, registration and conditions.
Information for those interested in taking this course in context of Contract teaching (with taking examinations), eg. about costs, registration and conditions.
For the registration of exchange students contact Humanities International Office.
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the right information bar.
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office: Arsenaal.
Remarks
The excursion to Florence is mandatory for this course. It will take place in the first week of November. NB: the excursion comes with limited options in terms of accessibility, due to lack of facilities in and around Florence. For a pleasant experience, students should be able to move around the city and its museums on foot.
Costs for travel and accommodation will be covered by funds. Additional fees, for museum entrance and food are expected to be covered by the student.
Participation in this course equals participation in the excursion to Florence and comes with the obligation to hand in the corresponding assignment(s).