Teaching Workshop: Inside Archives. Approaching the Artists' Archives
A.Y. 2023/2024
Learning objectives
The workshop, organized in collaboration with Arnaldo Pomodoro Foundation, aims to introduce the students to the knowledge, study and conservation of the artist's archive. Starting from the Archives of Arnaldo Pomodoro, students will approach other documentary collections - different in terms of formation, structure and consistency - which collect papers, photographs, books and various kinds of materials, essential for the study of artists' production.
Expected learning outcomes
Knowledge and skills: Students will be introduced, also through a practical training, to the basic methods and skills for cataloguing and studying documents, printed and photographic sources.
Lesson period: First semester
Single course
This course cannot be attended as a single course. Please check our list of single courses to find the ones available for enrolment.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
First semester
Course syllabus
The didactic laboratory "Dentro l'archivio. Un approccio all'archivio d'artista" ("Inside the archive. An approach to the artist's archive"), organized in collaboration between the Fondazione Arnaldo Pomodoro and the Department of Cultural and Environmental Heritage of the Università degli Studi di Milano, aims to bring students closer to the theme of the artist's archive, that is, those documentary complexes - heterogeneous among themselves in terms of events, structure and consistency - which collect papers, photographic, bibliographic and various kinds of materials, born as a consequence of the professional activity of artists. Essential tools for the study of artists' production, as well as for the authentication processes of the works of art and the construction of catalogue raisonnes, the artist archives also constitute a precious testimony of the broader cultural contexts in which the artists have worked, thus representing an important source for the construction of the history of art. Starting from Arnaldo Pomodoro's Archive and from the research and enhancement projects that the Foundation is conducting on the Archive (the online Catalogue Raisonné and the online database of the Archive itself), students will come into contact with other cases from archives of important Milanese artists and will carry out a practical cataloging exercise.
Lecturer in charge: Federico Maria Giani, Fondazione Arnaldo Pomodoro.
The program includes 20 hours of didactic laboratory at which will be carried out between the University of Milan, via Noto 8, and the Fondazione Arnaldo Pomodoro, via Vigevano 9.
A maximum of 15 students will be admitted.
Outline program of the didactic laboratory (DATES TBC):
- SEPTEMBER 22 | 10:30-12:30 | University of Milan, via Noto 8:
1st meeting - Introduction to the laboratory. Arnaldo Pomodoro and the artist archive
Federico Maria Giani and Ilaria Sgaravatto
2h
- OCTOBER 13 | 10:30-12:30 | Fondazione Arnaldo Pomodoro, via Vigevano 9, Milan:
2nd meeting - Fondazione Arnaldo Pomodoro and the Archive of Arnaldo Pomodoro
Federico Maria Giani and Ilaria Sgaravatto
2h
- 17 + 20 OCTOBER | 10:00-13:00 / 14:00-18:00 | Fondazione Arnaldo Pomodoro, via Vigevano 9, Milan:
3rd / 4th meeting (Group 1)* - Practice: cataloging and archival research
7h + 7h
- 24 + 27 OCTOBER | 10:00-13:00 / 14:00-18:00 | Fondazione Arnaldo Pomodoro, via Vigevano 9, Milan:
3rd / 4th meeting (Group 2)* - Practice: cataloging and archival research
7h + 7h
- 7 + 10 NOVEMBER | 10:00-13:00 / 14:00-18:00 | Fondazione Arnaldo Pomodoro, via Vigevano 9, Milan:
3rd / 4th meeting (Group 3)* - Practice: cataloging and archival research
7h + 7h
- 14 + 17 NOVEMBER | 10:00-13:00 / 14:00-18:00 | Fondazione Arnaldo Pomodoro, via Vigevano 9, Milan:
3rd / 4th meeting (Group 4)* - Practice: cataloging and archival research
7h + 7h
- 21 + 24 NOVEMBER | 10:00-13:00 / 14:00-18:00 | Fondazione Arnaldo Pomodoro, via Vigevano 9, Milan:
3rd / 4th meeting (Group 5)* - Practice: cataloging and archival research
7h + 7h
- DECEMBER 15 | 10:30-12:30 | University of Milan, via Noto 8:
5th meeting - Presentation by the students of the work done
2h
*(the 3rd and 4th meeting will be held by dividing the students into 5 groups, to allow them to work directly on the archival materials)
Lecturer in charge: Federico Maria Giani, Fondazione Arnaldo Pomodoro.
The program includes 20 hours of didactic laboratory at which will be carried out between the University of Milan, via Noto 8, and the Fondazione Arnaldo Pomodoro, via Vigevano 9.
A maximum of 15 students will be admitted.
Outline program of the didactic laboratory (DATES TBC):
- SEPTEMBER 22 | 10:30-12:30 | University of Milan, via Noto 8:
1st meeting - Introduction to the laboratory. Arnaldo Pomodoro and the artist archive
Federico Maria Giani and Ilaria Sgaravatto
2h
- OCTOBER 13 | 10:30-12:30 | Fondazione Arnaldo Pomodoro, via Vigevano 9, Milan:
2nd meeting - Fondazione Arnaldo Pomodoro and the Archive of Arnaldo Pomodoro
Federico Maria Giani and Ilaria Sgaravatto
2h
- 17 + 20 OCTOBER | 10:00-13:00 / 14:00-18:00 | Fondazione Arnaldo Pomodoro, via Vigevano 9, Milan:
3rd / 4th meeting (Group 1)* - Practice: cataloging and archival research
7h + 7h
- 24 + 27 OCTOBER | 10:00-13:00 / 14:00-18:00 | Fondazione Arnaldo Pomodoro, via Vigevano 9, Milan:
3rd / 4th meeting (Group 2)* - Practice: cataloging and archival research
7h + 7h
- 7 + 10 NOVEMBER | 10:00-13:00 / 14:00-18:00 | Fondazione Arnaldo Pomodoro, via Vigevano 9, Milan:
3rd / 4th meeting (Group 3)* - Practice: cataloging and archival research
7h + 7h
- 14 + 17 NOVEMBER | 10:00-13:00 / 14:00-18:00 | Fondazione Arnaldo Pomodoro, via Vigevano 9, Milan:
3rd / 4th meeting (Group 4)* - Practice: cataloging and archival research
7h + 7h
- 21 + 24 NOVEMBER | 10:00-13:00 / 14:00-18:00 | Fondazione Arnaldo Pomodoro, via Vigevano 9, Milan:
3rd / 4th meeting (Group 5)* - Practice: cataloging and archival research
7h + 7h
- DECEMBER 15 | 10:30-12:30 | University of Milan, via Noto 8:
5th meeting - Presentation by the students of the work done
2h
*(the 3rd and 4th meeting will be held by dividing the students into 5 groups, to allow them to work directly on the archival materials)
Prerequisites for admission
If the number of applications exceeds the maximum number of participants foreseen, priority will be given to Master students and to Bachelor students who have already taken one or more of the following exams: L ART 03 / History of contemporary art; L ART 02 / History of modern art; L ART 04 / Artistic literature
Teaching methods
lectures (1st-2nd meeting), practical exercises (3rd-4th meeting), students presentation (5th meeting)
Teaching Resources
Reference bibliography, not mandatory, recommended for personal study. Any further bibliographic references will be provided during the workshop.
ABOUT ARNALDO POMODORO:
· Francesco Leonetti and Arnaldo Pomodoro, "L'arte lunga", Feltrinelli, Milan 1992.
· "Arnaldo Pomodoro. Colloquio con Angela Vettese", in Cristina Baldacci and Clarissa Ricci (ed.), "Quando è scultura", et. al. Edizioni, Milan 2010, pp. 209-214.
· Arnaldo Pomodoro, "Forma, segno, spazio. Scritti e dichiarazioni sull'arte", edited by Stefano Esengrini, Maretti Editore, Imola 2014.
· Flaminio Gualdoni (edited by), "Pomodoro", Corriere della Sera, Milan 2022.
ON ARNALDO POMODORO'S ARCHIVE AND CATALOGUE RAISONNE':
· Bitta Leonetti, "Il catalogo ragionato online", in Alessandra Donati and Filippo Tibertelli de Pisis (edited by), "L'Archivio d'artista. Principi, regole e buone pratiche", Johan & Levi Editore, Milan 2022, pp . 157-166.
· Flaminio Gualdoni, "Introduzione", in Flaminio Gualdoni (edited by), "Arnaldo Pomodoro. Catalogo ragionato della scultura", Volume I, s.p.
· all the introductory and in-depth texts on the two portals of the online Archive https://www.arnaldopomodoro.it/archive/introduction/ and of the Catalogue Raisonné https://www.arnaldopomodoro.it/catalogue_raisonne/project/
ABOUT ARNALDO POMODORO:
· Francesco Leonetti and Arnaldo Pomodoro, "L'arte lunga", Feltrinelli, Milan 1992.
· "Arnaldo Pomodoro. Colloquio con Angela Vettese", in Cristina Baldacci and Clarissa Ricci (ed.), "Quando è scultura", et. al. Edizioni, Milan 2010, pp. 209-214.
· Arnaldo Pomodoro, "Forma, segno, spazio. Scritti e dichiarazioni sull'arte", edited by Stefano Esengrini, Maretti Editore, Imola 2014.
· Flaminio Gualdoni (edited by), "Pomodoro", Corriere della Sera, Milan 2022.
ON ARNALDO POMODORO'S ARCHIVE AND CATALOGUE RAISONNE':
· Bitta Leonetti, "Il catalogo ragionato online", in Alessandra Donati and Filippo Tibertelli de Pisis (edited by), "L'Archivio d'artista. Principi, regole e buone pratiche", Johan & Levi Editore, Milan 2022, pp . 157-166.
· Flaminio Gualdoni, "Introduzione", in Flaminio Gualdoni (edited by), "Arnaldo Pomodoro. Catalogo ragionato della scultura", Volume I, s.p.
· all the introductory and in-depth texts on the two portals of the online Archive https://www.arnaldopomodoro.it/archive/introduction/ and of the Catalogue Raisonné https://www.arnaldopomodoro.it/catalogue_raisonne/project/
Assessment methods and Criteria
During the practical exercise, the students will be guided and supervised by the Archivist of the Foundation (Ilaria Sgaravatto) who will ensure the correct learning of the cataloging procedures; during the final meeting each group of students will have to present to the rest of the class a summary powerpoint of the work done (overview of the cataloged materials, results of the archival research starting from the same materials).
Professor(s)