The Venice International Summer School in Curatorial Studies Open Call

About

The School for Curatorial Studies is an ambitious and challenging project promoted since 2004 and conceived as a school committed to experimentation and interdisciplinary thinking.
The main goals are to spread the knowledge in the field of visual arts and to introduce the students to the professions related to the art world, focusing on contemporary curatorial theory and practice and contemporary museology.
The School’s activities are meant for all those interested and passionate in art, graduated students or professionals who want to deepen their knowledge and improve their practical skills. The School’s teaching staff is formed by Italian and international professionals, scholars, historians and art critics of recognized experience. Among them: Matt Williams (curator), Filippo Lotti (Sotheby’s), Chiara Barbieri (Peggy Guggenheim Collection), Louise McKinney (developer of developing high-profile cultural initiatives), Andrea Goffo (Found. Prada), Nicola Lees (Aspen Museum).

The program:
The Summer School in Curatorial Practice will take place during the International Biennale Venice.
With an interdisciplinary approach, the course provides practical training and experience within museums and exhibition settings. Its international faculty includes curators and museum professionals, artists and critics. The course is designed to increase students understanding of the intellectual and technical tasks of the curator figure. English-taught lectures cover both theoretical and practical topics that go from the history of contemporary visual arts and practices of exhibition-making, to Exhibition Management.

The students will participate in weekly activities, such as artist studio visits, tours of exhibition spaces, networking events and workshops. The program culminates with the set up of the exhibition.
The Summer School includes visits of specific art venues all over the city of Venice during the International Venice Biennale. A series of selected case studies will offer the students an opportunity to observe the development of contemporary art. The School’s goal is to align these specific theoretical lectures with a practical approach.

Besides the theoretical lectures, a series of laboratories and workshops aims to introduce the students to the work of critical text writing, press releases and to structure all the different aspects of publishing. The students will be offered the possibility of a gallery training and of setting up together - with one of our tutors, their exhibition in Venice, as a final project of the course.

Duration and structure
The course has a duration of 650 hours. The participants will develop themes as well as concepts, organization, acquisition, communication and the concrete implementation of their skills together with the course director and international guests (artists, curators, architects, critics, fine arts scientists and publishers of art journals).

The application form must be sent by e-mail before the deadline (March 1st 2025) of the Curatorial Program to:
School for Curatorial Studies
San Marco, 3073, 30124 Venice
Email: curatorialschool@gmail.com
Tel: +39 0412770466

The Summer school has a limited number of places available.

Fee info