October 23 - December 04

History of Modern Italian Art

Explore the evolution of modern art in Italy from Liberty to Futurism, Cubism, Metaphysical Painting, Surrealism, Abstraction, and the "ritorno all'ordine", with our guest Professor Simone Ciglia

Additional information

Discover the major artistic movements that shaped the first half of the twentieth century in this 6-week course taught entirely in Italian by special guest Professor Simone Ciglia, Assistant Teaching Professor at the University of Oregon and internationally recognized art historian and curator.

Through a chronological and thematic journey —from 1900 to 1945 -, participants will explore the evolution of modern art from Liberty to Futurism, Cubism, Metaphysical Painting, Surrealism, Abstraction, and the “ritorno all’ordine’, while placing Italian art within its broader international context.

Designed for students with an Avanzato level or higher, the course offers a unique opportunity to deepen both your knowledge of Italian culture and your advanced Italian language skills. It will be followed in the Winter Term by a second course dedicated to Contemporary Italian Art.

         

Level: Avanzato and up.

          

About the Instructor

Simone Ciglia (Pescara, Italy, 1982) is an art historian, curator, and critic. He currently serves as Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of the History of Art and Architecture at the University of Oregon and as Chief Curator of Fondazione La Rocca (Pescara, Italy). His research focuses on marginal spaces within contemporary art, with particular emphasis on its intersections with agriculture, craft, and utopian and dystopian impulses. He serves as a correspondent for Flash Art magazine and writes for a variety of publications, including Treccani and Zanichelli.

He has curated exhibitions internationally, including most recently: The Whisperers (Ditch Projects, Springfield, OR), 2026; Il difficile è dimenticare ciò che si è visto per casa (Ritratto di Pescara per caso). Matteo Fato (Fondazione La Rocca, Pescara), 2025; Il campo espanso. Arte e agricoltura in Italia dagli anni Sessanta a oggi (Palazzo Collicola, Spoleto), 2025; 6 memo per questo millennio. 75° Premio Michetti (Museo Michetti, Francavilla al Mare), 2024. He has curated projects for Pesaro 2024 Capitale Italiana della Cultura, Fondazione Malvina Menegaz, and 16ª Quadriennale di Roma.

Ciglia has also taught at the Academy of Fine Arts in Urbino, Italy, and served as an Assistant Researcher at the MAXXI – National Museum of 21st Century Arts in Rome. He holds a Ph.D. in the History of Contemporary Art from the Sapienza University of Rome.

For additional information, please contact us via email at:
PRICE
$255/pers
+ 15$ nonrefundable processing fee
DURATION

6 Weeks

HOURS
Friday 1:30 - 3:00 pm PT
WHERE
Via Zoom

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Erin Yu
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“The SFIIS school offers the best, well rounded Italian languages classes in the Bay Area. With native speakers as teachers, the classes provide a comprehensive, natural and fun way of learning. Everyone feels welcome, no matter the level. The teachers are encouraging, entertaining and enthusiastic about their language and culture. As a bonus, I've made life-long friends through SFIIS classes. Please join our Italian language learning community!”
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