Introduction

The place of art in a society in transformation, as it is nowadays, is defined according to a series of dynamic parameters through which it negotiates its status and operational conditions. The research marking today the role of the artist can be seen as a continuous production of space and time – those of the exhibition, of representation, of direct activities here and now – among all the possible social, individual, economic and political spaces and times. So it is possible to talk about plurality of areas and operational processes that must be conquered, imagined, or revealed when they are disguised in everyday and social life. As a consequence, there is a close relationship or even a overlapping between artistic and curatorial research: not only for a change in their respective roles, but for the continuous redefining of artistic space that sees both as active subjects of study.

Educational philosophy

The two-year MA program in Visual Arts and Curatorial Studies is the only program in Italy and Europe with the objective of uniting a solid education in the field of visual arts production with a highly specialised curatorial program. The program aims at building the skills of artists and curators from constructing exhibition space, which is unique and shared, in which roles and attitudes of both are seen as open areas that need to be continually redefined. Through a wide spectrum of knowledge and strategies, of new technologies and languages, the program offers a series of theoretical lessons and laboratories, which will be conducted through the two-year program with different European artistic institutions.
A series of interdisciplinary activities are developed through lectures, workshops, seminars and exhibitions aimed at producing new operative and educational models in the field of contemporary art. Different schemes for works production – from construction of an imaginary individual to social intervention – will be experimented and compared and to various exhibition models: the “archipelago exhibition” (according to Glissant’s definition), a growing display, a nomadic exhibition up until it finds a place in a book, town or forum. Particular attention will be dedicated to the transformation of the public and to the consequent training of new figures within the art system.

Summary

Fields of specialisation: visual culture, visual arts and performance, curatorial studies, exhibition design.
Professional profiles: artist, curator, editor of specialized magazines and books, journalist, exhibition designer.
Director: Marco Scotini.
Language: Italian.
Title: Master of Arts Degree (legally recognized by the Italian Ministry of University and Research).
Credits: 120.
Duration: two years, from January to December of the following year.
Yearly schedule: 600 hours of class and 800 including individual studies, group studies, internship.
Internship or artistic/curatorial project: the internship can be taken at an external institution or by participating in an artistic or curatorial project developed within NABA together with partner institutions or companies.
Study abroad: it is possible to take a study abroad period in one of NABA partner universities and academies, within the frame of international agreements (LLP-Erasmus and others).
Evaluation: In addition to the final exams, students have to develop a final thesis and an artistic-professional portfolio.

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