artcampus

Project Leader

Prof. Dr. Oskar Bätschmann
oskar.baetschmann@ikg.unibe.ch
Institut für Kunstgeschichte
Universität Bern
Hodlerstrasse 8
3011 Bern

Project Coordinator

Dr. Christian Bracht
christian.bracht@ikg.unibe.ch
Institut für Kunstgeschichte
Universität Bern
Hodlerstrasse 8
3011 Bern

Project Partners

Summary

This project proposes to develop an internet-based survey course in the history of western renaissance, baroque and modern art. Although survey courses are widely taught above all in the English-speaking world (where several texts from the 1950s and 60s are readily available in book form but not on the internet), there is no up-to-date art historical survey in German-, French- and Italian-speaking countries. However, the lack of such courses constitutes a real disadvantage for students in these countries.

This project intends to fill the gap with a two-phased introduction to the history of art. The first phase (1 semester, 6 points in the ECTS) not only conveys the essentials of the development of the arts, it also serves as a primer to the internet as a research tool. Students are not only asked to take small exams monitoring their progress in the course material, they are also required to fulfill subsidiary research assignments such as finding literature on a specific subject in different OPACs and on-line bibliographies. At the same time, they are encouraged to explore their local "real life" resources for information on art (libraries, museums) and to share this information with others in order to realize the information collected on the internet.

The second phase of the course (1 semester, 6 credits) will offer a first opportunity to apply the newly-gained knowledge. Students are combined in teams (10-15) in order to explore a theme involving original works of art (e.g. public scultpure in their neighborhood). Each student is required to research two or three paintings or sculptures and to present this information in small texts (comparable in format to an extensive museum label). The texts are then made accessible to the other students of the course and will be discussed by the whole team. Eventually, the information thus gathered will be set up in a thematic website which - if the quality proves to be satisfactory - is made accessible to the general public. As such, students will acquire first insights into the tasks usually fulfilled by professional art historians.

In order to maintain and broaden its effect, the course will be accompanied by a discussion forum for students which will deepen the communication and exchanges of ideas over the internet.