The Academic Master is an intensive study path directed at providing students with effective tools for the interpretation of art market dynamics, with particular focus on contemporary artistic languages. The first cycle of the programme is dedicated to classroom activities, workshops and visits to galleries, foundations, museums, private and corporate collections. The second is focused on internships, enabling students to experience different areas and professions of the art system first-hand, and on the final projects. Students will also attend study trips to key events in the field such as Artissima and Art Basel.
Over the AM, students will have the opportunity to:
The Academic Master is an intensive and cross-disciplinary study path directed at providing students with advanced training and professionalisation in the field of art market, visual arts, creative entrepreneurial.
Through theoretical courses and frontal lectures, practical workshops and projects, guided field visits and an internship period, students define their skills and develop methods to deal with the Italian and international art system, coming into direct contact with established industry professionals and the jobs market.
The educational path consists of two cycles to provide the necessary skills and a cross-sectoral methodological approach in the main fields of art market and economy, art market legislation, art management, history of contemporary art, museology and history of collecting, communication and valorization of collections.
The first cycle is dedicated to classroom lectures and activities, workshops, individual and group practical projects which allow students to apply the notions learned, and to guided visits and visiting guest lectures from the art system's professional fields.
The second one focuses on a period of internship in both public and private institutions (art galleries, auction houses, foundations, collections, artist studios, archives), enabling students to come into direct contact with the various market players. Furthermore, both didactic and extra-curricular activities are provided, together with the development of the thesis final project.
Department: Visual Arts
Area: Visual Arts
Title Awarded: First Level Academic Master Degree
Credits: 60 CFA
Starting: October 2025
Duration: 1 year
Languages: Italian and English
Campus: Milan
Our Faculty
Marco Scotini is the Artistic Director of the FM Centre for Contemporary Art, Milan, and Head of the Exhibitions Programme at PAV, Parco Arte Vivente, Turin. He is the Scientific Director of the Archivio Gianni Colombo and the Bert Theis Archive. He has been a member of the Italian Council since 2019. He has been Visual Arts Department Head since 2004. After many collaborations with international artistic institutions (Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven, Documenta, Kassel, MAXXI, Rome, SALT, Istanbul, Castello di Rivoli), he curated the Albanian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale (2015), co-curated the 1st Anren Biennale (2017) and he has been the Artistic Director of the 2nd Yinchuan Biennale in China (2018). Among his most recent publications: Utopian Display. Geopolitical Curating (Quodlibet NABA Insights, 2019), Politiques de la Végétation (Eterotopia France, 2019), Artecrazia (DeriveApprodi, 2017).
An art historian and critic, Cristina Masturzo is specialised in contemporary art market, and she works as a professor and freelance writer. Since 2017 she has been teaching Art Economy and Market and Valorization of Collections at the Academic Master in Contemporary Art Markets of NABA, Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti, Milano. She has been visiting lecturer from 2022 to 2024at Istituto Marangoni in Florence in the mayor of Marketing, Art market and Communication. Since 2018 she is Chief Editor of the art market area at Artribune Magazine, where she also launched in 2023 the weekly newsletter “Incanti”. In 2020 she has been among the coordinators of Forum dell'arte contemporanea italiana. She currently collaborates with the Visual Arts Department of NABA and she is working as a freelance on indipendent research projects about the art system. Her texts are included in magazines, volumes and catalogues.
NABA’s Career Services & Industry Relations Office can provide you with support and guidance during your transition from the academy to the professional world. Our staff can help you develop self-promotion tools and assist you during your first steps into the world of work.
The Office develops relationships with companies in order to set up internship agreements, employment opportunities, and interactive projects between students and businesses.
Students will undertake a minimum internship period of 200 hours, gaining hands-on experience at a gallery, auction house, art center, foundation, museum, private collection, publishing house, or art periodical.
COMPANIES
The Master in Contemporary Art Markets cooperates with Open Care, FM Centre for Contemporary Art (FMCCA), UniCredit, Miart, Sotheby’s, Fondazione Trussardi, Galleria Massimo De Carlo, Galleria Zero..., Collezione Iannaccone Milano, BeArt, Edicola Radezky and Exibart.
Continue your academic career:
Kick-off your career. Among the career opportunities: