Course 2017-2018 a.y.

Classes: 31 (II sem.)

Instructors:
Class 31: BEATRICE MANZONI

In the last years, the economic and cultural environment in which artistic and cultural organisations operate has changed significantly. Cultural consumption patterns are being radically re-shaped by the digital revolution, pushing institutions to re-think how they relate to their audiences. For cultural institutions, a general economic downturn has made it more difficult to attract funding, meanwhile bringing on the requirement of greater accountability. An increased focus on public value and efficiency has driven the attention to social spillovers and to the relationship with communities. Cultural production itself is being transformed in its inner processes, when those who were once just “the public” are being involved in the discussion, sharing, creation or funding of cultural projects. The art market is changing as well, becoming an economic sector worth billions of dollars every year. The “old” world of artists, galleries and collectors has become a complex, semi-industrial, global sector in which financial, political and social interests move at a fast pace. These changes offer multiple opportunities and, at the same time, raise deep cultural challenges. While providing a basic knowledge of how cultural organisations are structured and managed, the workshop addresses these issues with an eye for transformations.

By the end of the course, students
• Developed an understanding of the cultural sector, particularly museums and the art market.
• Critically understood the main changes and challenges for the organizations operating in the sector and how to face them.
• Started building their professional network in the industry, taking advantage of the case studies, the guest speakers and the field project.

• The role of museums in the contemporary society: preservation and valorisation Museums, audiences, communitie.
• How digital disruption is shaping cultural consumption and production. Spaces for innovation: cities, social inclusion and regeneration.
• Shaping the art market: how globalization and ‘celebrity culture’ have transformed the art market.
• Focus on the primary market: how art galleries have evolved in the last Century.
• Focus on the secondary market: the changing role of auction houses.
• Other forces shaping the art market: fairs and foundations.