- Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz / Max-Planck-Institut, 4A LAb, Department Memberadd
Research Interests:
Gli articoli raccolti nel presente volume sono il risultato di una serie di incontri scientifici che si sono svolti tra 2022 e 2023 e che hanno avuto come obiettivo l’approfondimento di specifici periodici italiani, collegati ai... more
Gli articoli raccolti nel presente volume sono il risultato di una serie di incontri scientifici che si sono svolti tra 2022 e 2023 e che hanno avuto come obiettivo l’approfondimento di specifici periodici italiani, collegati ai principali movimenti d’Avanguardia del Novecento. Per restituire l’articolata fisionomia del periodo sono state privilegiate le riviste prodotte nelle capitali dell’industria culturale, come le fiorentine “L’Italia futurista” (1916-1918) e “Il Centone” (1919), la romana “Atys” (1918-1921) e la milanese “L’Ala d’Italia” (1922-1943), ma anche in contesti geografici considerati più periferici della penisola, come l’aquilana “Le Pagine” (1916-1921) e la mantovana “Bleu” (19201921).
Research Interests:
Starting from the study by Daniel Kupper, this article investigates the biography of Anselm Feuerbach (1829-1880) as a literary subject by comparing two different sources: the autobiography Aus meinem Leben, left unpublished by the... more
Starting from the study by Daniel Kupper, this article investigates the biography of Anselm Feuerbach (1829-1880) as a literary subject by comparing two different sources: the autobiography Aus meinem Leben, left unpublished by the artist, and the novel Ein Vermächtnis, published by Henriette Heydenreich- Feuerbach in 1882. Documents in Berlin Zentralarchiv der Staatliche Museen concerning the relationship between these two texts will be analyzed. Aus meinem Leben testifies Feuerbach’s public outcry against the German patronage of the Arts symbolized by Hans Makart’s popular appeal in Wien. On the contrary, in Ein Vermächtnis Henriette, using the structure of a new literary genre – so-called Künstlerroman, or artist’s novel -, elaborated Feuerbach’s mythical image as misunderstood artist to arouse the interest of the public on Feuerbach’s art. The success of the latter text produced guilt feelings that increased public interest in his works of art and made German government cultural administrators zealous guardians of his artistic heritage. The differences between the two texts confirm the hypothesis of a precise ideological use of the artist’s biography that had deep impact in early Twentieth century.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Aim of the study is to outline the yet understudied editorial activity of Umberto No- tari through the examination of several magazines founded in Milan between 1903 and 1917: il «Verde e Azzurro», «La Giovane Italia», «Gli Avvenimenti»... more
Aim of the study is to outline the yet understudied editorial activity of Umberto No- tari through the examination of several magazines founded in Milan between 1903 and 1917: il «Verde e Azzurro», «La Giovane Italia», «Gli Avvenimenti» and «Le In- dustrie Italiane Illustrate». In addition to tracing the collaborations with members of Futurism and of the Novecento group, the analysis of these materials shows to what extent Notari used his journals to develop pioneering advertising, mass communica- tion and consensus-building strategies, which had many reflections in contemporary visual culture.
Research Interests:
The aim of this paper is to analyze László Péri's artistic development from painting to architecture between 1921 and 1924 from a transnational and interdisciplinary perspective. The invention of his «shaped canvases» (Herzogenrath 1973,... more
The aim of this paper is to analyze László Péri's artistic development from painting to architecture between 1921 and 1924 from a transnational and interdisciplinary perspective. The invention of his «shaped canvases» (Herzogenrath 1973, 42) is linked here both to the theory of Gleichwertigkeit (equivalence) of the artist Arthur Segal and to the concept of Gestaltung as a method characteristic of the so-called International Constructivism. Péri's new spatial cognition or Gestaltung of space is the main research interest he shared with Ludwig Hilberseimer and El Lissitzky. A comparison of their works would help to interpret Péri's architecture turn as a terminus of his constructivist method politically oriented.
Research Interests:
This article retraces the sources that influenced the ideas that Russian artist El Lissitzky held about the encounter between human beings and nature during his stay in Europe in the early 1920s. Notes and private correspondence held in... more
This article retraces the sources that influenced the ideas that Russian artist El Lissitzky held about the encounter between human beings and nature during his stay in Europe in the early 1920s. Notes and private correspondence held in the Special Collections of the Getty Research Institute detail an interest in Austro-Hungarian biologist Raoul Heinrich Francé’s concepts from Die Pflanze als Erfinder (1920; Plants as Inventors, 1923) and Bios: Die Gesetze der Welt (1921; Bios: The laws of the world), along with other new sources that relate to the philosophical debate around Albert Einstein’s special and general theories of relativity. A close reading of these sources and Lissitzky’s interest in them enables a reconsideration of what Oliver A. I. Botar describes as Lissitzky’s “biocentric turn” and the artist’s closely connected book project “1=1.”
Research Interests:
Between 1923 and 1925, the Russian artist El Lissitzky made numerous photographs, closely related to his organicist turn. The aim of this paper is to propose a close reading of these photographs in the light of the specific texts by Ernst... more
Between 1923 and 1925, the Russian artist El Lissitzky made numerous photographs, closely related to his organicist turn. The aim of this paper is to propose a close reading of these photographs in the light of the specific texts by Ernst Kapp, Raoul Heinrich Francé and Aloys Müller, from which Lissitzky drew inspiration, to support the hypothesis that the artist used photography as ‘biocentric’ tool in order to ideally reunite the domains of Mechanism and Organism toward a phenomenologically inspired approach to art.
Research Interests:
A comparative analysis of the pictorial works and poetic compositions inspired by the tarot deck produced by the Italian artist Corrado Cagli (1910–1976) and the American poet Charles Olson (1910–1970) between 1946 and 1951, shows how the... more
A comparative analysis of the pictorial works and poetic compositions inspired by the tarot deck produced by the Italian artist Corrado Cagli (1910–1976) and the American poet Charles Olson (1910–1970) between 1946 and 1951, shows how the interest in these cards, together with studies in the field of non-Euclidean geometry and n-dimensional space, not only formed the basis for some collaborative projects, but also played a decisive role in the renewal of their artistic production. this hypothesis is well documented by the correspondence between the two figures and by some unpublished texts by Charles Olson, conserved at the Charles Olson research Collection, Archives & Special Collections at the thomas J. Dodd research Center, University of Connecticut Libraries, Storrs, and at the Cagli Archive in rome.
Research Interests:
L’obiettivo del lavoro è illustrare come i principi modernisti promossi dalla rivista «G. Material zur elementaren Gestaltung» (Berlino,1923-1926) siano maturati parallelamente a un idealismo neo-vitalistico di retaggio romantico. La... more
L’obiettivo del lavoro è illustrare come i principi modernisti promossi dalla rivista «G. Material zur elementaren Gestaltung» (Berlino,1923-1926) siano maturati parallelamente a un idealismo neo-vitalistico di retaggio romantico. La presenza di numerosi articoli dedicati a industria e ingegneria meccanica dimostra l’adesione della rivista al nascente Modernismo, ma l’insistenza sul principio della Gestaltung riconduce alle convinzioni vitalistiche condivise da alcuni membri del cosiddetto G. Gruppe, interessati alla definizione di principi elementari di validità universale nelle arti. In tal senso, i primi film astratti di Hans Richter, editore della rivista, esemplificano la natura delle ricerche promosse dalla rivista e, in virtù dell’interesse nel funzionamento della percezione visiva, permettono di cogliere alcune affinità con i coevi studi della scuola della Gestalt.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The aim of this paper is to investigate the relationship of the Berlin-based artist George Grosz and the eclectic poet and art critic Theodor Däubler with reference to their mutual interest in Italian modern art, from Futurism to... more
The aim of this paper is to investigate the relationship of the Berlin-based artist George Grosz and the eclectic poet and art critic Theodor Däubler with reference to their mutual interest in Italian modern art, from Futurism to Metafisica. Through the prism of their interaction, it is possible to follow the double fortune of Metafisica in Berlin in the year 1920 thanks to the intricate network of contacts and collaborations that, mostly through art magazines, facilitated the circulation of images by de Chirico and Carrà as part of a shared international visual culture, open to multiple stylistic and ideological interpretations.
Research Interests:
A brief overview of the fourth issue of Italian Modern Art dedicated to Metaphysical art, pointing out the novelties with which each researcher has contributed to the current art-historical debate.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
La tesi consiste in una ricostruzione dei rapporti intercorsi tra l'artista Corrado Cagli e il poeta Charles Olson negli anni tra 1940 e 1950 attraverso lo studio della loro corrispondenza. In particolare viene approfondita la loro comune... more
La tesi consiste in una ricostruzione dei rapporti intercorsi tra l'artista Corrado Cagli e il poeta Charles Olson negli anni tra 1940 e 1950 attraverso lo studio della loro corrispondenza. In particolare viene approfondita la loro comune passione per la tecnica divinatoria dei tarocchi dalla quale nacquero alcuni progetti di collaborazione di poesia e arte. Sono quindi analizzate le opere di Cagli e le poesie di Olson ispirate a questo tema.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
L’autrice interpreta il racconto di Balzac “Le Chef-d’œuvre inconnu” come equivalente narrativo di una identità di artista in trasformazione negli anni Trenta dell’Ottocento. Attraverso l’analisi della rivista “L’Artiste”, dove è... more
L’autrice interpreta il racconto di Balzac “Le Chef-d’œuvre inconnu” come equivalente narrativo di una identità di artista in trasformazione negli anni Trenta dell’Ottocento. Attraverso l’analisi della rivista “L’Artiste”, dove è pubblicato il racconto, viene messo in luce il processo mediatico cui è sottoposto il mito dell’artista, tra realtà e finzione. Adottando un metodo comparativistico, le polarità presenti nel testo di Balzac — la dialettica tra colore e disegno, il rapporto tra artisti del passato e artisti moderni e il ruolo della modella tra idealità ed erotismo — sono interpretate in relazione a opere d’arte, illustrazioni e scritti di Denis Diderot, E.T.A. Hoffmann, Louis Boulanger, Eugène Delacroix e Théophile Gautier. Emerge così un profilo di artista intimamente legato all’affermarsi di un nuovo rapporto tra arte e letteratura e a nuove categorie di giudizio estetico che ne confermano la modernità.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
At the beginning of the twentieth century, Western philosophical concepts of nature and life gradually grew to become all-encompassing categories of intellectual thought, thus offering a philosophical bridge between the sciences... more
At the beginning of the twentieth century, Western philosophical concepts of nature and life gradually grew to become all-encompassing categories of intellectual thought, thus offering a philosophical bridge between the sciences [Naturwissenschaften] and humanities [Geisteswissenschaften]. The Organicist discourse, particularly its German variation, sought to address major problems of biological thought, e.g., the antithesis of mechanism versus vitalism. Specificity in the organization and configuration of biological form [Gestalt and Gestaltung] could be identified in numerous phenomena in nature, at all levels, from the cellular to the macrocosmic.
From this perspective, humankind, like all organisms, constitutes only an element within a complex system of relationships. The relationship between the living organism and its environment [Umwelt] is thus one of incessant reciprocity. Notional categories such as Energy, Energeticism, and Rhythm became central expressions of the life processes and were explored in the philosophical concepts and scientific theories of scholars such as Ernst Haeckel, Ludwig Klages, Wilhelm Ostwald, and Jacob von Uexküll, who among others promoted a direct link between the life sciences to other areas of knowledge production.
What united these theories was a universal rejection of biological reductionism and an emphasis on the organism as a unit of interrelated elements, according to the principle of “the whole is more than the sum of its parts.” After the First World War, these ideas were carried forward by numerous intellectuals and artists, who were closely following contemporary debates in the natural sciences.
The conference aims at providing new insights into our understanding of Organicism as an epistemological model in European modernism of the 1920s. Particular focus is on the dialogue between art, science, and philosophy. It will be shown that scientific debates and their popularization had a profound effect upon contemporary philosophical discussions and vice versa. Artistic production was informed by scientific discoveries; artists drew on scientific insights and responded to science on multiple levels. Thus, Organicism can be understood as a pivotal concept in the formulation of new theories of color, architectural design, photographic and cinematic vision, Gestalt theory, and the phenomenology of perception.
The two-day conference consists of five panels, each devoted to a philosopher or scientist who contributed – in various ways – to the formation of these theories: Ernst Haeckel, Ernst Marcus, Wilhelm Ostwald, and Gestalt theorists such as Kurt Koffka, Wolfgang Köhler, and Max Wertheimer. Two different research perspectives (art history/philosophy) will will applied, in dialogue with each other, around these figures with the ambition to present the scientific theories and discuss their interaction through specific case studies from the art-historical field (such as Hannah Höch, Viking Eggeling, Hans Richter, Theo van Doesburg, Làszló Moholy-Nagy, Raoul Hausmann, El Lissitzky, and others),
The goal of the conference is to investigate the concept of organicism as an epistemological model in art, photography, architecture and experimental cinema, by experimenting with new methodological formats of interdisciplinary inquiry.
The conference is part of the initiatives of the Department of Humanities of the University of Urbino (DISTUM) - Department of Excellence 2023- 2027 – in collaboration with the research program 4A_Lab based in Berlin, a cooperation between the Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz – Max-Planck-Institut and the Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz.
Scientific committee: Hannah Baader, Oliver A. I. Botar, Carlotta Castellani, Venanzio Raspa, Isabel Wünsche.
From this perspective, humankind, like all organisms, constitutes only an element within a complex system of relationships. The relationship between the living organism and its environment [Umwelt] is thus one of incessant reciprocity. Notional categories such as Energy, Energeticism, and Rhythm became central expressions of the life processes and were explored in the philosophical concepts and scientific theories of scholars such as Ernst Haeckel, Ludwig Klages, Wilhelm Ostwald, and Jacob von Uexküll, who among others promoted a direct link between the life sciences to other areas of knowledge production.
What united these theories was a universal rejection of biological reductionism and an emphasis on the organism as a unit of interrelated elements, according to the principle of “the whole is more than the sum of its parts.” After the First World War, these ideas were carried forward by numerous intellectuals and artists, who were closely following contemporary debates in the natural sciences.
The conference aims at providing new insights into our understanding of Organicism as an epistemological model in European modernism of the 1920s. Particular focus is on the dialogue between art, science, and philosophy. It will be shown that scientific debates and their popularization had a profound effect upon contemporary philosophical discussions and vice versa. Artistic production was informed by scientific discoveries; artists drew on scientific insights and responded to science on multiple levels. Thus, Organicism can be understood as a pivotal concept in the formulation of new theories of color, architectural design, photographic and cinematic vision, Gestalt theory, and the phenomenology of perception.
The two-day conference consists of five panels, each devoted to a philosopher or scientist who contributed – in various ways – to the formation of these theories: Ernst Haeckel, Ernst Marcus, Wilhelm Ostwald, and Gestalt theorists such as Kurt Koffka, Wolfgang Köhler, and Max Wertheimer. Two different research perspectives (art history/philosophy) will will applied, in dialogue with each other, around these figures with the ambition to present the scientific theories and discuss their interaction through specific case studies from the art-historical field (such as Hannah Höch, Viking Eggeling, Hans Richter, Theo van Doesburg, Làszló Moholy-Nagy, Raoul Hausmann, El Lissitzky, and others),
The goal of the conference is to investigate the concept of organicism as an epistemological model in art, photography, architecture and experimental cinema, by experimenting with new methodological formats of interdisciplinary inquiry.
The conference is part of the initiatives of the Department of Humanities of the University of Urbino (DISTUM) - Department of Excellence 2023- 2027 – in collaboration with the research program 4A_Lab based in Berlin, a cooperation between the Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz – Max-Planck-Institut and the Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz.
Scientific committee: Hannah Baader, Oliver A. I. Botar, Carlotta Castellani, Venanzio Raspa, Isabel Wünsche.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Call for Papers
Metaphysical Masterpieces Study Days (Friday and Saturday, April 26-27, 2019).
Keynote speaker: Mia Fuller, University of California – Berkeley
Deadline: Sunday, January 27, 2019
Metaphysical Masterpieces Study Days (Friday and Saturday, April 26-27, 2019).
Keynote speaker: Mia Fuller, University of California – Berkeley
Deadline: Sunday, January 27, 2019
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Parallel Session 12. Italian periodicals at the crossroads of the avant-garde (1916–1921) Chair: Carlotta Castellani Venue: Room B Giuseppe Di Natale Le Pagine (1916–1917) by Nicola Moscardelli, Giovanni Titta Rosa and Maria D’Arezzo... more
Parallel Session 12.
Italian periodicals at the crossroads of the avant-garde (1916–1921)
Chair: Carlotta Castellani Venue: Room B
Giuseppe Di Natale
Le Pagine (1916–1917)
by Nicola Moscardelli, Giovanni Titta Rosa and Maria D’Arezzo
Carlotta Castellani Enrico Prampolini and the first series of Noi (1917-1920)
Italian periodicals at the crossroads of the avant-garde (1916–1921)
Chair: Carlotta Castellani Venue: Room B
Giuseppe Di Natale
Le Pagine (1916–1917)
by Nicola Moscardelli, Giovanni Titta Rosa and Maria D’Arezzo
Carlotta Castellani Enrico Prampolini and the first series of Noi (1917-1920)
Research Interests:
This book is grounded in the concept of "optical deconstructions" which Edit Tóth elects as key to examine some case studies ranging from Bauhaus to Contemporary Art, covering a vast geographical area-from Germany, to the United States... more
This book is grounded in the concept of "optical deconstructions" which Edit Tóth elects as key to examine some case studies ranging from Bauhaus to Contemporary Art, covering a vast geographical area-from Germany, to the United States and to Japan-with a declared focus on female artists. Through in-depth analysis of the artworks, the book highlights in an original way the interaction between artistic creation and cultural context and underlines new connections between photographic solutions and cultural changes in society, thus opening up new research perspectives in particular on the relationship between photography and design.