Course 2024-2025 a.y.

The course provides an overview of the contemporary art market and system. It takes an institutional perspective on the development of the system, integrating a historical background with an analysis of the major transformations in the field. The course:

•     Presents a description of the current institutional composition of the art world, focusing on key actors and gatekeepers, professions and processes.
•     Provides an overview of the historical constitution of the field, focusing on the main lines of development from the 19th century to the present day.
•     Addresses relevant issues influencing debate in and about the art system today, exploring key themes and fundamental artistic practices and research.

The course will be enriched by a programme of guest speakers, allowing students to engage in dialogue with relevant professionals in the art market field.

• Recognize the main actors, professions and processes in the art system and describe their characteristics and functions;
• Illustrate the historical development of the modern and contemporary art market and system, and distinguish the key processes of change;
• Identify the main lines of debate in the contemporary art system, including artistic practices and research.

• Detect key actors and processes in their evolving and dynamic functions in the system
• Rely on professional art market and art system vocabulary, languages, logics.
• Relate articulately with professionals in the field and be able to ask relevant questions.

• Lectures
• Guest speaker's talks (in class or in distance)
• Company visits
• Individual works / Assignments
• Collaborative Works / Assignments

The course mixes frontal lectures with class participation and discussion.

This allows students to work through complex concepts and operationalise theories, and to develop their skills in tackling real-world problems and situations by applying critically acquired knowledge.

• Lectures are designed to convey the conceptual and historical issues at stake in the course;
• To encourage dialogue and debate, the class will devote time to moments of interaction and discussion.
• Case discussions will be presented to provide evidence and underpin the concepts under discussion, as well as to expose students to complex environments and stimulate the generation and problematisation of research questions.
• Guest speakers and company visits are offered to introduce key professions, processes or perspectives in the system. They are also a way of allowing students to meet practitioners or institutional realities.
• Assignments are used to develop critical thinking and analytical skills through the application of course concepts, while also encouraging independent elaboration of ideas and training students to engage in meaningful peer exchange.

Attending students will be assessed by a written final examination and a final presentation, as well as by class participation.

1.     Class participation and interaction with guest speakers.

This item tests the ability to proactively engage in discussions and interact meaningfully with practitioners in the field.

2.     Individual Presentation

This assignment is designed to test the student's developed ability to critically apply the concepts and skills acquired during the course, to present them clearly and persuasively and to encourage collaboration with peers.

3.     Individual Final Exam.

This item will test students' comprehension and understanding of the issues and concepts discussed in lectures and class activities. It will also test the ability to mobilise acquired knowledge and critically analyse the readings in the bibliography, as well as the ability to present an innovative point of view or analysis.

Non-attending students will be evaluated through a written exam.

Exam Structure: Students will be asked to answer to 3 questions in 90 minutes.

The written exam will test student capacity to understand and to critically engage with the bibliographical material.

- Teacher’s slide and notes

- Guest lectures notes

- Reading list

A comprehensive reading list will be provided at the beginning of the lessons on Blackboard. 

• Reading List for non attending students:

KARPIK L. (2010) Valuing the Unique. The Economics of Singularities, Princeton University Press, Princeton and Oxford, 2010.

[AVAILABLE ON COURSE RESERVE AND ONLINE AT https://library.unibocconi.it/discovery/fulldisplay?context=PC&vid=39UCLB_INST:VU1&search_scope=MyInst_and_CI&tab=Everything&docid=cdi_jstor_books_10_2307_j_ctv1zm2v2n

VELTHUIS O., BAIA CURIONI S. (2015), Cosmopolitan canvases, Oxford University Press. [AVAILABLE ON COURSE RESERVE AND ONLINE AT  https://library.unibocconi.it/discovery/fulldisplay?context=PC&vid=39UCLB_INST:VU1&search_scope=MyInst_and_CI&tab=Everything&docid=cdi_proquest_ebookcentral_EBC4842192

VELTHUIS, O. (2005) Talking prices, Princeton University Press.

[AVAILABLE ON COURSE RESERVE and ONLINE  https://library.unibocconi.it/discovery/fulldisplay?context=PC&vid=39UCLB_INST:VU1&search_scope=MyInst_and_CI&tab=Everything&docid=cdi_askewsholts_vlebooks_9781400849406