History Of Architecture And Of Cities, Arts Science, Restoration

HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE AND OF CITIES, ARTS SCIENCE, RESTORATION

The PhD program in History of Architecture and of Cities, Art Philosophy, Conservation of Architectural Heritage focuses on interweaving the disciplines of history of architecture and of cities, philosophy and history of the arts, aesthetic theory, and conservation of architectural heritage.

Coordinated by Prof. Donatella Calabi, the PhD program's faculty body is comprised of professors and researchers from the Iuav departments of History of Architecture and Industrial Design, as well as from other Italian universities (Pisa, Verona, Udine) and international universities (Duke University, New York University, Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, Université de Genéve). Although the program is based prevalently on the academic program of the Iuav of Venice, it also relies on a number of international agreements and partnerships with American and European universities and research institutes.

TOPICS

The PhD program is focused on conducting research that is directly connected to the historical-critical analysis of artistic practices in all their various forms (architecture, visual arts, cinema and photography, music, theatre, dance, etc...) and in the complex relationships which have been established amongst them. Such themes have been organized into three broad areas of theory and criticism: the history of artistic systems - systems which intercept, organize and guide artistic theory, practices, and products; the history of knowledge - knowledge which allows artistic practices to be set in place; and the individuals and professionals in the field, including producers (creators and executors), dealers, critics, historians, collectors, and users.

GOALS

The organization of courses, seminars, workshops and teaching staff is interlinked in such a way as to help students develop specific research projects in the context of an ample methodological and disciplinary framework. The PhD program aims at structuring its scientific identity around certain general themes intrinsic to the expertise, methodology and research strategies represented by historical and theoretical based disciplines.

The first of these research themes can be entitled "history of expository systems" and includes the study of museum history, exhibition history, expository space history, history of collections and of institutions, as well as audience/spectator history and market history. Particular focus is placed on the history of the Biennale of Venice, its originality as an institutional structure and the range of artistic expressions it hosts.

The second thematic area concerns the transfer of knowledge among the various forms of artistic expression, as well as among art, science and technology. Topics include the historical construction of independent fields within the artistic disciplines (i.e., the separation of sculpture and architecture, or of architecture and engineering), the relationship and synthesis between the arts (theatre and music, set-design and painting, visual art and cinema), as well as the rapport between art and science, art and technology, art and society.

The third theme regards research already underway (the "Fare Storia" Conferences and the "Tafuri Seminar") concerning historiographic practices and their rapport with critical practices, as well as the theoretical constructions of modern philosophies of art.

Seminars and didactic activities are aimed at instructing students in developing a critical approach to research, in the proper use of artistic tools and techniques - including the transfer of knowledge and practice from one field to another. One such area that enhances this aspect is the annual seminar entitled "Fare Storia". Thanks to contributions from leading International scholars, the seminar offers an occasion for reflecting on the "profession" itself, on research methods currently in use, and on channels used for the transmission and dissemination of research results.

DIDACTICS

Attendance

During the first year students are required to attend and participate in the activities proposed by the PhD program. By the end of the first year students must also select, with the help of the Faculty Board, a research topic to which they will dedicate a large part of their time, starting from the second year onwards. During this period students will be expected to pursue research and study exchange opportunities with foreign universities or research institutes. The third year is dedicated to the conclusion of their research and to the completion of their doctoral theses. Each year the program organizes at least one study seminar trip which is strictly related to the research topics of certain PhD students. The study seminar trip includes on-site discussions and meetings with experts from the chosen fields of interest. To date, some of the study trips nave involved visits to Renaissance cities and monuments in Croatia, architectural sites of the Perret brothers in France, Medieval and modern structures in Naples, as well as guided visits to art and architecture exhibitions pertinent to students' specific research.

An important part of the didactic activities includes the periodical presentation, on behalf of the PhD students, of their current research work. The work is then systematically discussed with all the members of the Scientific Committee and with other outside supervisors who are invited from time to time to participate in the active and critical discussion of students' work.

Evaluation methods

At the end of the first year the Faculty Board will evaluate students' work based on a written paper produced by the student. The paper is to focus on the individual activity of the student (or the active participation in the initiatives offered by the PhD program and a detailed research program in reference to the final dissertation). Students must pass evaluation in order to be admitted to the second year of the PhD program. A similar assessment process takes place during the following two years based on the periodic reports presented by the PhD student to the Faculty Board and discussed collectively with other PhD students from the program. Reports should be accurate proof of the development and progress of the student's research work in progress