Established in 2006, the MA combines solid training in artistic production with highly specialised curatorial practice. Lead by globally recognised artists, curators, critics and intellectuals, the programme explores the relationship between art, visual culture, aesthetics and social dynamics, focusing on the main research and theoretical methodologies of contemporary art. Given the solid positioning of the NABA Visual Arts Department within the contemporary art system, students will tackle interdisciplinary activities, and new training and operating models in contemporary art.
Over the MA, students will have the opportunity to:
The Master of Arts allows students to deepen their knowledge through highly specialised studies and to acquire the theoretical and practical instruments necessary to develop different kinds of projects in the fields of visual arts, curatorship, exhibition design and publishing.
Through the analysis of the fundamental research and theory methodologies applied to contemporary art, and thanks to interdisciplinary activities and field experiences, students have the opportunity to confront the professional context, experiencing new educational and operational models for the international system of contemporary art.
FIRST YEAR
Introduces students to the main themes of the programme and explores relationship between art, visual culture, aesthetics, social and economic dynamics, through studies in phenomenology of contemporary arts, visual arts, photography, exhibition design and curatorial studies, in a constant comparison with new creative and experimental methods and different cultural contexts on a global scale.
Students deepen their path through both individual and group researches for visual art, curatorship, exhibition design and publishing projects, dealing with different exhibition models and cultural contexts and acquiring critical skills to face the complexity of the art system.
SECOND YEAR
The advanced studies in history of contemporary art, curating, exhibition design consolidate the students’ knowledge related to exhibition models production, for a critical understanding of processes, spaces, narratives, audience and institutional structures which influence the contemporary creation.
Exploring the contemporary art practices, students have the opportunity to deepen their expressive and theoretical research and to experience the production of artistic and curatorial projects.
Project-based and cross-disciplinary workshops, together with research on techniques and materials and meetings with professionals from the international art system, enable students to acquire knowledge and skills suitable for professional career.
Department: Visual Arts
Area: Visual Arts
Title Awarded: Second Level Academic Degree
Credits: 120 CFA
Starting: February 2025 - October 2025
Duration: 2 years
Languages: Italian and English
Campus: Milan and Rome
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).
She has a PhD in Contemporary Art History from the Catholic University, Milan, focused on the analysis of performative practices in the artistic field with reference to the role of women artists and gender approach. Since 2012 she has been a professor of Modern and Contemporary Art History at NABA. She has held courses at the Catholic University, Brescia; seminars at the Sapienza University; Universities of Ferrara, Turin and Bari; at Artistic Institutions such as Palazzo Reale, MACRO, FMCCA. She has published essays with Routledge, Franco Angeli, Postmediabooks, research papers with Palinsesti and Comunicazioni Sociali and collaborates with Arte e Critica, Titolo, Opera Viva, Espoarte, Telescope. She is currently Course Leader of the BA in Painting and Visual Arts and of the MA in Visual Arts and Curatorial Studies at NABA Campus in Rome.
NABA provides students with the opportunity to study abroad as part of their academic experience.
NABA Academic Coordination Office, in charge for the management of the exchange programmes, supports students in taking advantage of the international study opportunities through exchange programmes and promoting educational experiences thanks to a network including numerous prestigious international partner universities.
NABA counts more than 70 cooperation agreements with academies and universities through the Erasmus+ Programme in Europe and others international cooperation agreements with several universities outside Europe.
NABA has developed strong relationships with leading companies, institutions, galleries and associations that provide internships for NABA students, including Art for the World Europa, Fondazione La Triennale di Milano, A12 Associati, Fondazione Museion—Museo d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea Bolzano, Galleria Massimo de Carlo, Galleria Raffaella Cortese, Prometeogallery, Galleria Alessandro de March, galleria Form Content (Londra), BAK—basis voor actuele kunst, O’Associazione, Arabeschi di Latte, Supportico Lopez (Berlin), Fondazione lettera27 Onlus, Oliviero Toscani Studio, Carasi Massimo, Sotheby’s Italia, Skira Editore, Fondazione Giuliani per l’Arte Contemporanea, Associazione Viafarini, Artshow Edizioni sas di Ciavoliello Giulio & C., Careof Organization for Contemporary Art, Gruppo Cimbali, Associazione Culturale a. Titolo, Patrick Tuttofuoco, Open Care, and Archive Books di Chiara Figone.
Continue your academic career:
Kick-off your career. Among the career opportunities: