Many writers are compelled to write to make sense of the world and their place in the world. They write to seek answers to their questions about self and identity and the "other." Through historical, fictional, philosophical, and memoir writings, writers come to know themselves by getting outside of themselves. At their best, they illuminate a path for others to begin their travels to the self and "the Other" (recall our reading at Santa Croce in Florence). You can't know yourself until you get outside of yourself.
Perhaps, then, you can't know a city until you leave it. You must leave your home and your community to then come back and know that home and see it in a different light, from a different perspective, through new eyes.
We have all left our homes and, through travel, you will come to know it in a different way. You will come to know yourself in a different way. Don't expect things to be the same when you return.
You left Rome and returned. You left Florence and returned. Do you know the cities better now? Do you know them differently?Do you see the cities, and also perhaps yourself, differently through "new" eyes?
Your task for writing assignment #4 is to reflect on Rome, Florence (and consider Prato). What did you see, what were your impressions, how did you see the cities differently (leaving and returning). What about your personal discoveries in the cities. We are now almost half way into the program. What are you thinking about in terms of your travels, your home, your time here in Italy? Write assignment #4 and see where it takes you. Use your memories of the places you have been to and your memories of home and community (both in Seattle and here in Roma) to inform your writing. Utilize readings, talks, excursions, your research and rione investigations, and conversations with people. Be ready to see connections. They are there.
Finally, take chances when you write. Be "imperfect". Sit and be still with your thoughts. Writing can be a form of meditation. Good writing can't be hurried. Focus and enjoy the process.
One more thought to take with you (a thought in the form of a list)...
The Odyssey
Canterbury Tales
Augustine's Confessions
The Inferno
The Wizard of Oz
The Catcher in the Rye
The Accidental Tourist
The Lord of the Rings
Enders Game
Clash of Civilization Over an Elevator in Piazzo Vittorio
"There are no new answers, only new questions" (Barbara Grazzuti Harrison, Italian Days, p. 180).
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Richard Meier's Rome
Richard Meier is a contemporary architect discussed in class last week. He is a Jewish New York-based architect creating modern buildings in a city proud of its antiquity, and a city always shadowed by "the Church". What questions do you have as you learn more about his buildings (see below) and as you explore the architecture of ancient Rome?
See images of Richard Meier's buildings
Articles and news about Meier:
Rome Mayor Aims to Tear Down Richard Meier Museum
Richard Meier's Jubilee Church in Rome
More on the Jubilee Church
See images of Richard Meier's buildings
Articles and news about Meier:
Rome Mayor Aims to Tear Down Richard Meier Museum
Richard Meier's Jubilee Church in Rome
More on the Jubilee Church
Pigneto
`Pasolini needed to live dangerously in every sense, this passionate, contradictory man. He didn't slum it in the slums - he lived there to learn the vital language of the poor, in order to remind Italian literature of its existence.' Paul Bailey
Pigneto is a small rione in the northwest side of Rome. It has been working class and called "gritty." Artists, immigrants, and also some extremist groups live in Pigneto. It's not far from the center, but it's a bit off the main track (and public transport). It is starting to become gentrified, no surprise.
The poet, novelist, and film director Pier Paolo Pasolini loved this area. Many of his movies were filmed here.
We will visit Pigneto and learn more about this area. The fringe is becoming the center. We'll visit an artists' collective and perhaps tour the Grauco cinema.
Here is the poem Greg Smith mentioned in class last week:
The Tears of the Excavator (Section II)
Poor as a cat in the Coliseum
I lived in a slum of limestone
and dust clouds, far from the city
and from the country, wedged each day
in a wheezing bus:
and every going, every return
was an ordeal of sweat and anxiety.
Long walks in the hot haze,
long dusks in front of my papers
piled on the table, amidst muddy streets,
low walls, small whitewashed shanties,
windowless, with curtains for doors...
The olive seller and ragman passed by,
coming from some other slum,
with dusty goods that seemed
the fruits of theft; and the cruel faces
of youths aged among the vices
of those with hardened and hungry mothers
Renewed by the new world,
free--a blast of heat, an indescribable
breath, gave a sense of serene piety
to that humble and squalid,
confused and immense reality,
swarming in the southern slums.
A soul within me, not merely my own.
a small soul in that boundless world,
grew, fed with the joy
of one who loved, though the love be unrequited.
And everything filled with the light of his love,
perhaps still the heroic love of a young boy.
yet matured by experience,
born at the foot of history.
It was the center of the world, in that world
of sad Bedouin slums,
of yellow prairies scoured
by a relentless, unquiet wind,
that came up form the warm sea of Fiumicino,
or from the plains, where the city
disintegrated amidst the hovels; in that world
that could be dominated only by the square sallow specter
in the sallow haze
of the Penitentiary, punched in by a thousand
identical rows of barred windows,
amidst old fields and sleepy farmhouses.
trash and dust were blindly tossed about by the breeze,
the poor echoless voices
of women come down from the Sabine
hills and the Adriatic, and here
encamped with swarms
of underfed, hardened and shrieking
children in tattered undershirts
and gray, sun-bleached shorts,
in the African sun, the restless rains
that turned the streets into muddy
torrents, the buses mired
at the end of the line in a corner
between a last strip of whitened grass
and some heap of rancid, fermenting garbage...
it was the center of the world,
as my love for it was at the center
of history: and in this
maturity, still growing, there was
love all the same, and everything was
on the verge of becoming clear--it was
clear! That slum, naked in the winds,
not Roman, not southern,
not working class, was life
in its clearest light:
life, and the light of life, full
in the chaos not yet proleterian,
as the rough newspaper of the
cell or the latest waving
of magazine would have it: bone
of daily existence,
pure, because so
close absolute because
all too miserably human.
translated by Patrick Barron, taken from An Anthology of Italian Environmental Literature (and Pier Paolo Pasolini: Selected Poetry), Italica Press: New York, 2003.
Pigneto is a small rione in the northwest side of Rome. It has been working class and called "gritty." Artists, immigrants, and also some extremist groups live in Pigneto. It's not far from the center, but it's a bit off the main track (and public transport). It is starting to become gentrified, no surprise.
The poet, novelist, and film director Pier Paolo Pasolini loved this area. Many of his movies were filmed here.
We will visit Pigneto and learn more about this area. The fringe is becoming the center. We'll visit an artists' collective and perhaps tour the Grauco cinema.
Here is the poem Greg Smith mentioned in class last week:
The Tears of the Excavator (Section II)
Poor as a cat in the Coliseum
I lived in a slum of limestone
and dust clouds, far from the city
and from the country, wedged each day
in a wheezing bus:
and every going, every return
was an ordeal of sweat and anxiety.
Long walks in the hot haze,
long dusks in front of my papers
piled on the table, amidst muddy streets,
low walls, small whitewashed shanties,
windowless, with curtains for doors...
The olive seller and ragman passed by,
coming from some other slum,
with dusty goods that seemed
the fruits of theft; and the cruel faces
of youths aged among the vices
of those with hardened and hungry mothers
Renewed by the new world,
free--a blast of heat, an indescribable
breath, gave a sense of serene piety
to that humble and squalid,
confused and immense reality,
swarming in the southern slums.
A soul within me, not merely my own.
a small soul in that boundless world,
grew, fed with the joy
of one who loved, though the love be unrequited.
And everything filled with the light of his love,
perhaps still the heroic love of a young boy.
yet matured by experience,
born at the foot of history.
It was the center of the world, in that world
of sad Bedouin slums,
of yellow prairies scoured
by a relentless, unquiet wind,
that came up form the warm sea of Fiumicino,
or from the plains, where the city
disintegrated amidst the hovels; in that world
that could be dominated only by the square sallow specter
in the sallow haze
of the Penitentiary, punched in by a thousand
identical rows of barred windows,
amidst old fields and sleepy farmhouses.
trash and dust were blindly tossed about by the breeze,
the poor echoless voices
of women come down from the Sabine
hills and the Adriatic, and here
encamped with swarms
of underfed, hardened and shrieking
children in tattered undershirts
and gray, sun-bleached shorts,
in the African sun, the restless rains
that turned the streets into muddy
torrents, the buses mired
at the end of the line in a corner
between a last strip of whitened grass
and some heap of rancid, fermenting garbage...
it was the center of the world,
as my love for it was at the center
of history: and in this
maturity, still growing, there was
love all the same, and everything was
on the verge of becoming clear--it was
clear! That slum, naked in the winds,
not Roman, not southern,
not working class, was life
in its clearest light:
life, and the light of life, full
in the chaos not yet proleterian,
as the rough newspaper of the
cell or the latest waving
of magazine would have it: bone
of daily existence,
pure, because so
close absolute because
all too miserably human.
translated by Patrick Barron, taken from An Anthology of Italian Environmental Literature (and Pier Paolo Pasolini: Selected Poetry), Italica Press: New York, 2003.
Prato, Italy--textile center
Facts about Prato:
-located just outside Florence
-population of 180,000 with 8,000 factories employing 40,000 workers
-famous for its wool textile industry (since the Middle Ages) and Italian fabrics
-it has the highest percentage of Chinese immigrants in Italy
-the Emperor's castle (we passed this mighty fortress on the way to the Duomo) is the only example of Swabian architecture in north-central Italy (built by Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II)
-during Meideval times the city was a sought after area between the rival towns of Florence and Pistoia. There were fights for ownership of the castles. The city was owned by the Barchi family until 1797. You can read more here: PRATO
-the Cathedral (or Duomo) is of great interest and showcases the art of Fra' Filippino Lippi (1452-1466 approx). Those frescoes in the apse--wow.
-Prato has lots of contemporary art (lots of open air art)
-Theatre is big in Prato. It is home to the prestigious Contemporary Art Centre 'Luigi Pecci' and to the highly acclaimed avant-garde theatre 'Metastasio'
-The Museum of the Textile, located near the Emperor's Castle, is the only museum in Italy dedicated to the textile art technology.
-located just outside Florence
-population of 180,000 with 8,000 factories employing 40,000 workers
-famous for its wool textile industry (since the Middle Ages) and Italian fabrics
-it has the highest percentage of Chinese immigrants in Italy
-the Emperor's castle (we passed this mighty fortress on the way to the Duomo) is the only example of Swabian architecture in north-central Italy (built by Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II)
-during Meideval times the city was a sought after area between the rival towns of Florence and Pistoia. There were fights for ownership of the castles. The city was owned by the Barchi family until 1797. You can read more here: PRATO
-the Cathedral (or Duomo) is of great interest and showcases the art of Fra' Filippino Lippi (1452-1466 approx). Those frescoes in the apse--wow.
-Prato has lots of contemporary art (lots of open air art)
-Theatre is big in Prato. It is home to the prestigious Contemporary Art Centre 'Luigi Pecci' and to the highly acclaimed avant-garde theatre 'Metastasio'
-The Museum of the Textile, located near the Emperor's Castle, is the only museum in Italy dedicated to the textile art technology.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Writing Assignment #3-Rome marketplace: the borderlands
“I think of an author as somebody who goes into the marketplace and puts down his rug and says, 'I will tell you a story,' and then he passes the hat.” Robertson Davies
"Today I saw a slave become more powerful than the Emperor of Rome." Maximas (from GLADIATOR)
The market at Esquilino illustrates the multi-ethnic vibrant community in Rome. The area of Esquilino and Vittorio Emmanuele is an example of a "borderland" in that it is a mix of high economic and lower economic populations. The urban gentrification process and immigration movements have resulted in a dynamic and you can see this at the marketplace.
The documentary film “The Orchestra of Piazza Vittorio” begins with this introduction:
The making of this film diary began shortly after September 11th when the Italian Prime Minister spoke of “inferior civilizations.” It was completed in 2006, a few months after a Minister appeared on TV with a shirt depicting an anti-Muslim cartoon, and the Senate president declared that we must defend ourselves from “half-breeds”.
While many on the Italian left chose to oppose the “war on terror” and the concomitant xenophobia by organizing rallies and demonstrations, Mario Tronco, a keyboard player for the group Avion Travel, was inspired to organize an orchestra made up of recent immigrants to the Esquilino neighborhood in Rome. As the film begins, we learn that Esquilino had begun to become more and more ethnically diverse, much to the chagrin of native Italians who regularly took to the streets to demand “Italy for the Italians”.
We will watch this documentary later in the quarter. In the meantime, think about the information above, and the ethnically diverse Esquilino and, specifically, marketplaces.
The Esquilino marketplace, and all marketplaces, both ancient and contemporary, are community centers. Consider both ancient and contemporary market places for your writing assignment #3. Write about the activities of the marketplaces. Write about the marketplace as a "borderland". What are borderlands? Why do they exist. Think about the theoretical readings you've done so far.
Also, consider the short stories you have read in Multicultural Literature in Italy along with the articles about assimilation and the migrant experience. What identity (ies) do you see in the market places? What is the Italian identity. How does Italy express its "identity" through marketplaces, in both ancient and contemporary times. What has been your experience in the market places?
As always, your writing should be image driven, descriptive, and tell the stories you see as you explore the marketplaces. Take risks in your writing, but always be respectful of the stories of the people you are writing about.
Due next Thursday.
"Today I saw a slave become more powerful than the Emperor of Rome." Maximas (from GLADIATOR)
The market at Esquilino illustrates the multi-ethnic vibrant community in Rome. The area of Esquilino and Vittorio Emmanuele is an example of a "borderland" in that it is a mix of high economic and lower economic populations. The urban gentrification process and immigration movements have resulted in a dynamic and you can see this at the marketplace.
The documentary film “The Orchestra of Piazza Vittorio” begins with this introduction:
The making of this film diary began shortly after September 11th when the Italian Prime Minister spoke of “inferior civilizations.” It was completed in 2006, a few months after a Minister appeared on TV with a shirt depicting an anti-Muslim cartoon, and the Senate president declared that we must defend ourselves from “half-breeds”.
While many on the Italian left chose to oppose the “war on terror” and the concomitant xenophobia by organizing rallies and demonstrations, Mario Tronco, a keyboard player for the group Avion Travel, was inspired to organize an orchestra made up of recent immigrants to the Esquilino neighborhood in Rome. As the film begins, we learn that Esquilino had begun to become more and more ethnically diverse, much to the chagrin of native Italians who regularly took to the streets to demand “Italy for the Italians”.
We will watch this documentary later in the quarter. In the meantime, think about the information above, and the ethnically diverse Esquilino and, specifically, marketplaces.
The Esquilino marketplace, and all marketplaces, both ancient and contemporary, are community centers. Consider both ancient and contemporary market places for your writing assignment #3. Write about the activities of the marketplaces. Write about the marketplace as a "borderland". What are borderlands? Why do they exist. Think about the theoretical readings you've done so far.
Also, consider the short stories you have read in Multicultural Literature in Italy along with the articles about assimilation and the migrant experience. What identity (ies) do you see in the market places? What is the Italian identity. How does Italy express its "identity" through marketplaces, in both ancient and contemporary times. What has been your experience in the market places?
As always, your writing should be image driven, descriptive, and tell the stories you see as you explore the marketplaces. Take risks in your writing, but always be respectful of the stories of the people you are writing about.
Due next Thursday.
Rome Borders Office Hours
Rome Borders Office hours:
Thursdays 12:30-1:30/2:00;
Cafe Biscione's, right across from the Rome Center main doors.
Or you can always email to schedule an appointment if you need to meet outside of these hours.
Thursdays 12:30-1:30/2:00;
Cafe Biscione's, right across from the Rome Center main doors.
Or you can always email to schedule an appointment if you need to meet outside of these hours.
Tuesday's "on-site" freewrite
On Tuesday, we were educated about the Jewish Ghetto and community through several mediums. You now have the opportunity to write your interpretation and show the connections you made. Connect readings, walking tour, museum, and the images you took from the day.
Tips:
-Find a quiet spot (this is your "on-site"--you alone with your journal)
-Review the Jewish Ghetto tour, review what you learned at the museum, review the images from the synagogue
-Think slowly, take time for memory to awaken
-Reflect on the contradictions and reflect on the ambiguities of these "contradictions"
-Consider the "gates" we had to go through to enter the site
-Consider why these gates exist now and also what gates and walls surrounded the area in the past, and why.
-Always consider both the man made, natural boundaries, and mental boundaries.
-How have these gates been crossed and where are the borders now?
Freewrite first, then post rewrite/edit and post to your blog by Tuesday, January 26.
Make the posting as long as you need it to be. You will know if its too short.
Use active voice
Be specific
Use image driven writing
Use all your senses in your descriptions
Think about the "hour glass" structure:
1. Broad connections
2. Specific experiences and images that create details (stories are always more engaging)
3. Then back to broad. What are your questions? Why do you care?
Tips:
-Find a quiet spot (this is your "on-site"--you alone with your journal)
-Review the Jewish Ghetto tour, review what you learned at the museum, review the images from the synagogue
-Think slowly, take time for memory to awaken
-Reflect on the contradictions and reflect on the ambiguities of these "contradictions"
-Consider the "gates" we had to go through to enter the site
-Consider why these gates exist now and also what gates and walls surrounded the area in the past, and why.
-Always consider both the man made, natural boundaries, and mental boundaries.
-How have these gates been crossed and where are the borders now?
Freewrite first, then post rewrite/edit and post to your blog by Tuesday, January 26.
Make the posting as long as you need it to be. You will know if its too short.
Use active voice
Be specific
Use image driven writing
Use all your senses in your descriptions
Think about the "hour glass" structure:
1. Broad connections
2. Specific experiences and images that create details (stories are always more engaging)
3. Then back to broad. What are your questions? Why do you care?
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Two quotes in honor of MLK Day
Peace between countries must rest on the solid foundation of love between individuals.
--Mahatma Gandhi
A human being is a part of the whole called by us "the universe," a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separate from the rest--a kind of optical delusion of consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening the circle of understanding and compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.
--Albert Einstein
--Mahatma Gandhi
A human being is a part of the whole called by us "the universe," a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separate from the rest--a kind of optical delusion of consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening the circle of understanding and compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.
--Albert Einstein
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Assignment #2 -Due Thursday 1/21
For writing assignment #2 you will actually need to talk to Italians in order to find out what people know about the riots in the south. This is a more involved assignment than #1, so it should be longer. Make it as long as you need it to be (3 pages minimum).
You can choose to talk to one person, if that person gives you enough to work with, or you can talk to several people. Variety is always good. You can talk to the doorman, the office staff (only nonAmericans), the waiter at your favorite cafe, the person in the bookstore, people you might meet at museums, galleries, cafes. See how it goes and be persistent. Don't get destroyed if a mean postal worker refuses to talk to you. She is grumpy, so go on and talk to someone who has a friendlier disposition.
It is helpful to approach people with some Italian words and a smile. These two things can open doors and bring new friends.
You can do the investigative aspect of this assignment with a partner, but the write up should be yours only.
Suggestions to get you started...you can ask:
What do they know of the recent riots?
How did they first hear of the recent riots? Where did they get their information? Overall, how interested are they in what's been happening?
How serious an issue do they consider illegal immigration to be? Is the problem more serious for some groups than for others? What should government policy be?
Why do you feel this way?
How long have you lived in Rome? Where did your parents grow up?
What are the most pressing issues in Italy today?
Listen carefully and represent their narrative in your writing with respect and accuracy. Let them tell you what they want to tell you. They may digress into other topics related to immigration, politics, or their own stories.
Be an active listener. Try not to judge, stay open, and gather information. Most likely you will be surprised. Don't tell them that their opinions are wrong or right, and don't try to change their opinions. Don't get into arguments. Share your thoughts if you are asked. You don't need to NOT have an opinion. Just try and let them do most of the talking.
It would be useful to make sure you are informed about the situation so make sure you read the current news about the recent riots and any news related to the riots (both local, national, and world).
Other things to consider:
--Think about how you will introduce the topic, i.e. "Buongiorno, I am a student from Seattle studying in Rome this winter, and I am gathering information about the recent riots in southern Italy. It would be so helpful to learn more. Would you mind telling me what you know about the riots and your thoughts about this situation?"
You can adapt this to your style and to the person you are talking to, but keep it open ended and polite.
--Bring your journal for note taking and reflection. It may be that it is best to wait to write down your notes and reflections about the conversations (i.e. field notes), or you might be comfortable taking notes while you are listening. Feel this out and do what is appropriate for the situation. If you are with a partner, it might work to have your partner be your notetaker.
--For your write up, narrate what you learned by listening to their opinions and stories. Describe the people you talked to. Who are they, where did you meet them, why did you choose them. What about the process. Did you hear more than you thought you would? Write all the stories you heard and also consider: how did it feel to ask Italians about the riots? How do you think they felt being asked this question by an American student? Would they have answered differently if asked by a fellow Italian? How did you feel about this assignment in general? What was your comfort level and what borders/boundaries did you experience while engaged in this assignment. What walls did you cross?
--Think about what you have learned so far in the readings and discussions and feel free use to inform your writing.
--Always consider your subject position and discuss your bias' and your position in this process.
Ok, more writing tips coming soon, but this should get you started. Let me know if any questions.
You can choose to talk to one person, if that person gives you enough to work with, or you can talk to several people. Variety is always good. You can talk to the doorman, the office staff (only nonAmericans), the waiter at your favorite cafe, the person in the bookstore, people you might meet at museums, galleries, cafes. See how it goes and be persistent. Don't get destroyed if a mean postal worker refuses to talk to you. She is grumpy, so go on and talk to someone who has a friendlier disposition.
It is helpful to approach people with some Italian words and a smile. These two things can open doors and bring new friends.
You can do the investigative aspect of this assignment with a partner, but the write up should be yours only.
Suggestions to get you started...you can ask:
What do they know of the recent riots?
How did they first hear of the recent riots? Where did they get their information? Overall, how interested are they in what's been happening?
How serious an issue do they consider illegal immigration to be? Is the problem more serious for some groups than for others? What should government policy be?
Why do you feel this way?
How long have you lived in Rome? Where did your parents grow up?
What are the most pressing issues in Italy today?
Listen carefully and represent their narrative in your writing with respect and accuracy. Let them tell you what they want to tell you. They may digress into other topics related to immigration, politics, or their own stories.
Be an active listener. Try not to judge, stay open, and gather information. Most likely you will be surprised. Don't tell them that their opinions are wrong or right, and don't try to change their opinions. Don't get into arguments. Share your thoughts if you are asked. You don't need to NOT have an opinion. Just try and let them do most of the talking.
It would be useful to make sure you are informed about the situation so make sure you read the current news about the recent riots and any news related to the riots (both local, national, and world).
Other things to consider:
--Think about how you will introduce the topic, i.e. "Buongiorno, I am a student from Seattle studying in Rome this winter, and I am gathering information about the recent riots in southern Italy. It would be so helpful to learn more. Would you mind telling me what you know about the riots and your thoughts about this situation?"
You can adapt this to your style and to the person you are talking to, but keep it open ended and polite.
--Bring your journal for note taking and reflection. It may be that it is best to wait to write down your notes and reflections about the conversations (i.e. field notes), or you might be comfortable taking notes while you are listening. Feel this out and do what is appropriate for the situation. If you are with a partner, it might work to have your partner be your notetaker.
--For your write up, narrate what you learned by listening to their opinions and stories. Describe the people you talked to. Who are they, where did you meet them, why did you choose them. What about the process. Did you hear more than you thought you would? Write all the stories you heard and also consider: how did it feel to ask Italians about the riots? How do you think they felt being asked this question by an American student? Would they have answered differently if asked by a fellow Italian? How did you feel about this assignment in general? What was your comfort level and what borders/boundaries did you experience while engaged in this assignment. What walls did you cross?
--Think about what you have learned so far in the readings and discussions and feel free use to inform your writing.
--Always consider your subject position and discuss your bias' and your position in this process.
Ok, more writing tips coming soon, but this should get you started. Let me know if any questions.
Art Exhibits of Interest
Museum of Contemporary Art
Urs Lüthi – Just Another Story About Leaving
The first exhibition in Rome dedicated to Swiss artist Urs Lüthi, who is known for her photographic depictions of ambiguities in individuals and objects. For this exhibition, the artist has developed a complex site-specific project based on the concept of departure and distance. With no fixed boundaries to respect, Urs Lüthi is free to explore spaces in the city where an encounter between the present and many histories are a source of inspiration, informing the artist of converging paths.
MACRO – Museo D’Arte Contemporary, Roma Via Reggio Emilia 54 (Flaminio)
Tuesday-Sunday 9am-7pm; 16 through April 5 tel 06 671 070400
Via Libera - Viva la libertà and Apocalypse Wow!
Presented contemporaneously at MACRO Future and Ex-Mattioli, in celebration of the twentieth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall, the exhibitions relate art and society to that historic occasion through multi-media production, paintings, sculptures, installations, documents and television news segments.
"Via Libera - Viva la Libertà" is divided into two sections. The first presents an eight-minute audio-video retrospective of the actual collapse of the Berlin wall. The second, a three-screen installation showing simultaneous broadcasts of the event being transmitted over East and West Berlin television networks and networks throughout the world. Lastly, a series of television screens transmit flashback and commentary of the occasion 20 years later, reported by Italian journalists who covered the story at the time. The exhibitions also celebrate the fall of a system that stifled artistic expression and exchange between the East and West. "Apocalypse Wow!" unveils the form and color of pop surrealism, neo pop and urban art, currents that were suppressed for three generations. A group exhibition of 80 works across a broad range of genres in sculpture, painting and installation links generations, which in the past 20 years have constructed the so called, globalized era. Works by an international roster of artists, including Shepard Fairey, Keith Herring, Jan Michel Basquiat, Daniel Richter, Nicola Verlato, Doze Green, Barry McGee, the Clayton Brothers and others. The painting shown here is by Italian artist Nicola Verlato.
Macro Future – Ex Mattatoio, Piazza Orazio Giustiniani (Testaccio)
Tuesday-Sunday 4 pm - midnight; though January 31, 2010
Urs Lüthi – Just Another Story About Leaving
The first exhibition in Rome dedicated to Swiss artist Urs Lüthi, who is known for her photographic depictions of ambiguities in individuals and objects. For this exhibition, the artist has developed a complex site-specific project based on the concept of departure and distance. With no fixed boundaries to respect, Urs Lüthi is free to explore spaces in the city where an encounter between the present and many histories are a source of inspiration, informing the artist of converging paths.
MACRO – Museo D’Arte Contemporary, Roma Via Reggio Emilia 54 (Flaminio)
Tuesday-Sunday 9am-7pm; 16 through April 5 tel 06 671 070400
Via Libera - Viva la libertà and Apocalypse Wow!
Presented contemporaneously at MACRO Future and Ex-Mattioli, in celebration of the twentieth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall, the exhibitions relate art and society to that historic occasion through multi-media production, paintings, sculptures, installations, documents and television news segments.
"Via Libera - Viva la Libertà" is divided into two sections. The first presents an eight-minute audio-video retrospective of the actual collapse of the Berlin wall. The second, a three-screen installation showing simultaneous broadcasts of the event being transmitted over East and West Berlin television networks and networks throughout the world. Lastly, a series of television screens transmit flashback and commentary of the occasion 20 years later, reported by Italian journalists who covered the story at the time. The exhibitions also celebrate the fall of a system that stifled artistic expression and exchange between the East and West. "Apocalypse Wow!" unveils the form and color of pop surrealism, neo pop and urban art, currents that were suppressed for three generations. A group exhibition of 80 works across a broad range of genres in sculpture, painting and installation links generations, which in the past 20 years have constructed the so called, globalized era. Works by an international roster of artists, including Shepard Fairey, Keith Herring, Jan Michel Basquiat, Daniel Richter, Nicola Verlato, Doze Green, Barry McGee, the Clayton Brothers and others. The painting shown here is by Italian artist Nicola Verlato.
Macro Future – Ex Mattatoio, Piazza Orazio Giustiniani (Testaccio)
Tuesday-Sunday 4 pm - midnight; though January 31, 2010
Monday, January 11, 2010
Riones (neighborhoods) of Rome
A rione (pl. rioni) is an Italian term used since the Middle Ages to name the districts of central Rome, according to the political divisions of that time. It comes from the Latin regio (pl. regiones, meaning region); during the Middle Ages the Latin word became rejones, from which rione.
Augustus first divided Rome into fourteen regiones to organize the growing city. The Riones have remained to this day, but with many transformations. Changes continue. Rione are similar to the arrondissements of Paris in that they were first known only by their number. They then came to be named by a landmark in the area.
Currently, there are 22 Riones. The Vatican is an area, a "neighborhood", all to its own.
Rione's selected
Trastevere: Natalia and Lauren
Testaccio: Alexis and Teo
Regola: Derek and Giulia
Ponte: Nick and Sijia
Monte: Mick and Carisa
Trevi: Stephanie and Tim
Vatican: Conner and Erika (again, not officially rione)
Requirements for this assignment:
-Presentation during week 9 (3/2 and 3/4). 30 minutes on site
-Write up a one page handout to give to students as a guide as you present
-You must take charge and lead us to your Rione where the presentation will begin (walk or bus)
-Write up final presentation and post to blog by your scheduled day (include photos and even voice, video and music. Be creative and have fun with this)
Things to cover in your presentation:
-History of the rione and "coat of arms" of the rione
-Who are the residents of the rione; who are the visitors
-Economy of the neighborhood
-Social communities and activities
-Monuments and memorials of the area
-"Borders" in the rione, consider also"insiders" and "outsiders"
-Art in the area
-Graffiti
-your reflections on the process
-discussion of your specific interpretation and your place within your interpretation
Use an ethnographic approach and consider your subject position and reflect on how your position influences your observations and reflections. What biases and assumptions do you bring?
Read the area as "text", do "close reading" and notice the subtle details of the area. Look at signs, listen to the language, talk to people, sit and observe the area and people's behaviors. Write in your journal. Go to different parts of your rione and observe difference, contradictions, similarities, and entries, walls, borders, etc.
You will be going back to your rione many times in the next 9 weeks. Do most of your research on-site. Take TIME to get to know it. Stroll through it on a busy weekday morning and also on a quiet Sunday afternoon. Have lunch at one of the most crowded pizzerias. Eat a gelato while walking. Let the area come to you as much as you go to it. Go with your partner, and also go alone at times. Walk, saunter, enjoy the slow pace of your travels through the neighborhood.
You and your partner should work together to craft a cohesive presentation of the area, but you should also include your unique observations and reflections. Discuss this unique aspects of your observations in your presentation and in your write up. You will have some different observations and interpretations. Note these, and discuss with your partner.
Also, discuss the process of this assignment. What were the difficulties and struggles you might have had. What about any "ah ha" moments and shifts that might have happened after visiting the site again and again. Include these kinds of reflections in your presentation.
For inspiration see the urban archives project:
Urban Archives (a Seattle project)
Augustus first divided Rome into fourteen regiones to organize the growing city. The Riones have remained to this day, but with many transformations. Changes continue. Rione are similar to the arrondissements of Paris in that they were first known only by their number. They then came to be named by a landmark in the area.
Currently, there are 22 Riones. The Vatican is an area, a "neighborhood", all to its own.
Rione's selected
Trastevere: Natalia and Lauren
Testaccio: Alexis and Teo
Regola: Derek and Giulia
Ponte: Nick and Sijia
Monte: Mick and Carisa
Trevi: Stephanie and Tim
Vatican: Conner and Erika (again, not officially rione)
Requirements for this assignment:
-Presentation during week 9 (3/2 and 3/4). 30 minutes on site
-Write up a one page handout to give to students as a guide as you present
-You must take charge and lead us to your Rione where the presentation will begin (walk or bus)
-Write up final presentation and post to blog by your scheduled day (include photos and even voice, video and music. Be creative and have fun with this)
Things to cover in your presentation:
-History of the rione and "coat of arms" of the rione
-Who are the residents of the rione; who are the visitors
-Economy of the neighborhood
-Social communities and activities
-Monuments and memorials of the area
-"Borders" in the rione, consider also"insiders" and "outsiders"
-Art in the area
-Graffiti
-your reflections on the process
-discussion of your specific interpretation and your place within your interpretation
Use an ethnographic approach and consider your subject position and reflect on how your position influences your observations and reflections. What biases and assumptions do you bring?
Read the area as "text", do "close reading" and notice the subtle details of the area. Look at signs, listen to the language, talk to people, sit and observe the area and people's behaviors. Write in your journal. Go to different parts of your rione and observe difference, contradictions, similarities, and entries, walls, borders, etc.
You will be going back to your rione many times in the next 9 weeks. Do most of your research on-site. Take TIME to get to know it. Stroll through it on a busy weekday morning and also on a quiet Sunday afternoon. Have lunch at one of the most crowded pizzerias. Eat a gelato while walking. Let the area come to you as much as you go to it. Go with your partner, and also go alone at times. Walk, saunter, enjoy the slow pace of your travels through the neighborhood.
You and your partner should work together to craft a cohesive presentation of the area, but you should also include your unique observations and reflections. Discuss this unique aspects of your observations in your presentation and in your write up. You will have some different observations and interpretations. Note these, and discuss with your partner.
Also, discuss the process of this assignment. What were the difficulties and struggles you might have had. What about any "ah ha" moments and shifts that might have happened after visiting the site again and again. Include these kinds of reflections in your presentation.
For inspiration see the urban archives project:
Urban Archives (a Seattle project)
Race Riots in Italy--News articles
News from Europe, NY Times
Race Riots in Italy
More than a thousand African workers were put aboard buses and trains in the southern Italian region of Calabria over the weekend and shipped out to immigrant detention centers, following some of the country’s worst riots in years.
Italy in the Seattle Times "Italy Grows more Hostile to Immigrants"
Bloody clashes between African migrants and residents in one of Italy's poorest regions over the last few days brought home a national dilemma...
See full article above.
Race Riots in Italy
More than a thousand African workers were put aboard buses and trains in the southern Italian region of Calabria over the weekend and shipped out to immigrant detention centers, following some of the country’s worst riots in years.
Italy in the Seattle Times "Italy Grows more Hostile to Immigrants"
Bloody clashes between African migrants and residents in one of Italy's poorest regions over the last few days brought home a national dilemma...
See full article above.
Rome Borders Powerpoint #1
“What is Rome? Where is the real Rome? Where does it begin and where does it end? Rome is surely the most beautiful city in Italy, if not the world. But it is also the most ugly, the most welcoming, the most dramatic, the richest, the most wretched….The contradictions of Rome are difficult to transcend because they are contradictions of an existential order. Rather than traditional contradictions, between wealth and misery, happiness and horror, they are part of a magma, a chaos.” Pier Paolo Pasolini from The Smiles of Rome
Rome Borders Blog:http://romeborders.blogspot.com/
The Rome Borders blog is a resource for your writing, your independent study projects and your Rione project. I will post resources through the quarter. You should also post resources that you find while researching your independent study and rione projects.
What is Border Studies?
Border Studies is within the field of cultural studies and combines the disciplines of political economy, communication, sociology, social theory, media theory, film/video, cultural anthropology, philosophy, museum studies, and art history/criticism. Issues addressed include cultural phenomena such as identity politics, ideology, nationality, ethnicity, “race”, social class, and/or gender and sexuality. You will dig into all of this in your readings and as you explore the city.
Why Borders Studies?
Interdisciplinary and fluid, no singular static definition or method of study
“For all disciplines, borders determine the nature of group (in some cases defined territorially) belonging, affiliation, and membership, and the way in which the processes of inclusion are institutionalized” (Newman 143).
“We live in a hierarchical world of rigid ordering and that borders—be they territorial or aspatial—are much a part of our daily lives” (Newman 156).
The contradictions of globalization are evident. “Borderless” and “deterritorialized” world is not a reality. Globalization creates categories and compartments (Newman 143)
How have borders shifted. Where and why are the boundaries being drawn. Who is drawing these boundaries?
Related disciplines
English
--The study of literature is a way to make sense of our world, a way to interpret and “decode” the human condition and our place within history, our current society, and the cultures of the world. It connects us to the past, present, and future. It connects us to our fellow human being. Literary theory is one of the discipline’s tools. Close reading, i.e. deep analysis of texts, deconstruction and reconstruction of texts, are other components of English. The discipline is interdisciplinary and is also linked to Interdisciplinary humanities and culture studies.
Study of Identity politics
Identity politics can be thought of in terms of the process of formation of solidarity groups to secure identity and rights of a community and individuals within that community. Think about EU Identity and contradictions between national identity, communities within the nation, and individual identities. Italians want to be “Italians” and not “Europeans”?
Key Terms of Border Studies
Border concept - Border crosser - Border crossing - Border crossing narrative - Border figure - Border formation – Bordering – Borderland - Border narrative - Border planes -Border poetics- Border studies - Border subjects - Border theory - Border zones – Contact Epistemological border – Liminality - Symbolic Border - Temporal border- Textual border - Topographic border
Other Words related to "Border"
Frontier
Divide
Bridge
Hybrid
Types of Borders and Borderlands
Borders are not just physical manifestation of boundaries and spaces; they are also psychological, language, textual, cultural, gendered, and emotional (social boundaries, historical amnesia/memory, identity politics). They are represented in art, literature, politics, monuments and memorials, and in our own actions and reactions.
Borders (and borderlands) are both macro and micro, influencing nation state, city, ethnic and cultural, neighborhood, family/group, and individual identities (mixed race identity for example).
Borders are not fixed, are not solid, are socially constructed. Borders are created both overtly and covertly, by nation states, individual movements, and demographic changes in populations.
Borders and identity politics are intimately related.
Borders Around the World
and more borders
Rome Borders Blog:http://romeborders.blogspot.com/
The Rome Borders blog is a resource for your writing, your independent study projects and your Rione project. I will post resources through the quarter. You should also post resources that you find while researching your independent study and rione projects.
What is Border Studies?
Border Studies is within the field of cultural studies and combines the disciplines of political economy, communication, sociology, social theory, media theory, film/video, cultural anthropology, philosophy, museum studies, and art history/criticism. Issues addressed include cultural phenomena such as identity politics, ideology, nationality, ethnicity, “race”, social class, and/or gender and sexuality. You will dig into all of this in your readings and as you explore the city.
Why Borders Studies?
Interdisciplinary and fluid, no singular static definition or method of study
“For all disciplines, borders determine the nature of group (in some cases defined territorially) belonging, affiliation, and membership, and the way in which the processes of inclusion are institutionalized” (Newman 143).
“We live in a hierarchical world of rigid ordering and that borders—be they territorial or aspatial—are much a part of our daily lives” (Newman 156).
The contradictions of globalization are evident. “Borderless” and “deterritorialized” world is not a reality. Globalization creates categories and compartments (Newman 143)
How have borders shifted. Where and why are the boundaries being drawn. Who is drawing these boundaries?
Related disciplines
English
--The study of literature is a way to make sense of our world, a way to interpret and “decode” the human condition and our place within history, our current society, and the cultures of the world. It connects us to the past, present, and future. It connects us to our fellow human being. Literary theory is one of the discipline’s tools. Close reading, i.e. deep analysis of texts, deconstruction and reconstruction of texts, are other components of English. The discipline is interdisciplinary and is also linked to Interdisciplinary humanities and culture studies.
Study of Identity politics
Identity politics can be thought of in terms of the process of formation of solidarity groups to secure identity and rights of a community and individuals within that community. Think about EU Identity and contradictions between national identity, communities within the nation, and individual identities. Italians want to be “Italians” and not “Europeans”?
Key Terms of Border Studies
Border concept - Border crosser - Border crossing - Border crossing narrative - Border figure - Border formation – Bordering – Borderland - Border narrative - Border planes -Border poetics- Border studies - Border subjects - Border theory - Border zones – Contact Epistemological border – Liminality - Symbolic Border - Temporal border- Textual border - Topographic border
Other Words related to "Border"
Frontier
Divide
Bridge
Hybrid
Types of Borders and Borderlands
Borders are not just physical manifestation of boundaries and spaces; they are also psychological, language, textual, cultural, gendered, and emotional (social boundaries, historical amnesia/memory, identity politics). They are represented in art, literature, politics, monuments and memorials, and in our own actions and reactions.
Borders (and borderlands) are both macro and micro, influencing nation state, city, ethnic and cultural, neighborhood, family/group, and individual identities (mixed race identity for example).
Borders are not fixed, are not solid, are socially constructed. Borders are created both overtly and covertly, by nation states, individual movements, and demographic changes in populations.
Borders and identity politics are intimately related.
Borders Around the World
and more borders
Friday, January 8, 2010
Tuesday Assignments (due by start of class)
Dear Group,
As a reminder, here is what's due by Tuesday (check your week 2 schedule handout):
--Readings (all readings are on blog except the MULTICULTURAL LITERATURE reading)
1. EU websites to learn about the EU and Italy's place in the EU
2. "Borders in a Borderless World"
3. "Immigration and Social Identities" (ITALIAN CULTURAL STUDIES)
4. selections from MULTICULTURAL LITERATURE IN CONTEMPORARY ITALY "Intro" 11-27 and "Salvation" 65-75
We'll begin discussion of the readings this week, but will certainly continue discussions throughout the quarter. Take time these first few weeks to ground yourself in the border concepts that emerge from the readings. These concepts will ground you in the work you will do for your group research project and your Rione assignment (more on this Tuesday!).
--Buy a journal this weekend and start writing. Take time to choose the right journal for your needs. It's going to be with you for 10 weeks. Your journal will be a personal tool to write your reflections of the city and to craft the draft for the writing assignments that you will then post on to your blog. You can also use your journal for your reading notes. Other ways to use your journal: you can draw in your journal. You can write down new Italian words you learn as you explore the city.
Make your journal an extension of you for the next 10 weeks.
WRITING ASSIGNMENT #!
Your first writing assignment is due on Thursday. It should be posted to your blog by the start of the class. This first assignment should be around 1-2 pages at least, but feel free to make it as long as you need to in order to get your points across. Use visual imagery, write down the details, avoid generalities, and avoid words that don't pull the reader into your experience. You want the reader to be engaged in what you experienced and this won't happen if you use those dull words like "great", "wonderful", "interesting". Take risks in your writing!
Topic: find borders in Rome and borders you encounter in your wandering. Borders can be physical, psychological,or metaphorical as manifested in language, identity, memory, etc. Engage the city as a "traveler". Don't always go in a group. Often you will find more inspiration alone or with one or two companions.
A few quotes for inspiration:
"Hurrying through Rome is travel from hell. Lost in a fog of general impressions, you have a hard time believing there's more to this city than exhaustion. For beauty happens only in the particular....Travel means finding yourself through a journey, and letting it change you" (SMILES OF ROME page 1).
“ If we really want to know what borders mean to people, then we need to listen to their personal and group narratives… they help us understand the notions of ‘difference’ and ‘other’ in the real daily lives of people, rather than as abstract sociological constructs” (Newman 154).
Also, you can read "Roman Hours" in THE SMILES OF ROME for more inspiration and an example of travel writing (this is on the blog).
Have fun, and let me know if any questions.
Julie
As a reminder, here is what's due by Tuesday (check your week 2 schedule handout):
--Readings (all readings are on blog except the MULTICULTURAL LITERATURE reading)
1. EU websites to learn about the EU and Italy's place in the EU
2. "Borders in a Borderless World"
3. "Immigration and Social Identities" (ITALIAN CULTURAL STUDIES)
4. selections from MULTICULTURAL LITERATURE IN CONTEMPORARY ITALY "Intro" 11-27 and "Salvation" 65-75
We'll begin discussion of the readings this week, but will certainly continue discussions throughout the quarter. Take time these first few weeks to ground yourself in the border concepts that emerge from the readings. These concepts will ground you in the work you will do for your group research project and your Rione assignment (more on this Tuesday!).
--Buy a journal this weekend and start writing. Take time to choose the right journal for your needs. It's going to be with you for 10 weeks. Your journal will be a personal tool to write your reflections of the city and to craft the draft for the writing assignments that you will then post on to your blog. You can also use your journal for your reading notes. Other ways to use your journal: you can draw in your journal. You can write down new Italian words you learn as you explore the city.
Make your journal an extension of you for the next 10 weeks.
WRITING ASSIGNMENT #!
Your first writing assignment is due on Thursday. It should be posted to your blog by the start of the class. This first assignment should be around 1-2 pages at least, but feel free to make it as long as you need to in order to get your points across. Use visual imagery, write down the details, avoid generalities, and avoid words that don't pull the reader into your experience. You want the reader to be engaged in what you experienced and this won't happen if you use those dull words like "great", "wonderful", "interesting". Take risks in your writing!
Topic: find borders in Rome and borders you encounter in your wandering. Borders can be physical, psychological,or metaphorical as manifested in language, identity, memory, etc. Engage the city as a "traveler". Don't always go in a group. Often you will find more inspiration alone or with one or two companions.
A few quotes for inspiration:
"Hurrying through Rome is travel from hell. Lost in a fog of general impressions, you have a hard time believing there's more to this city than exhaustion. For beauty happens only in the particular....Travel means finding yourself through a journey, and letting it change you" (SMILES OF ROME page 1).
“ If we really want to know what borders mean to people, then we need to listen to their personal and group narratives… they help us understand the notions of ‘difference’ and ‘other’ in the real daily lives of people, rather than as abstract sociological constructs” (Newman 154).
Also, you can read "Roman Hours" in THE SMILES OF ROME for more inspiration and an example of travel writing (this is on the blog).
Have fun, and let me know if any questions.
Julie
Partner Assignments & Independent Research Group assignment
Honors in Rome Winter 2010
Partner Assignments
While in Rome you will work in partnership with one of your fellow students on three components of the program:
1. Art history editing
2. Daily diary & vlog assignments
3. Neighborhood “rione” field research and presentation
Your partner is also an asset to you as you practice Italian, learn how to navigate Rome, and engage in the day-to-day activities of the city. We hope that the entire group will develop into a caring academic and social community – creating bonds that will continue not only during our time in Rome, but also when you are back in Seattle.
The Learning Partners:
Mick and Carisa
Alexis and Teo
Conner and Erika
Natalia and Lauren
Derek and Guilia
Stephanie and Tim
Sijia and Nick
1. Editing Partnership
When it comes to proof reading a paper they always say that two sets of eyes are better than one. With this idea in mind, you have each been assigned an editing partner to assist with your written art history paper. Since this paper will be posted on the website we want it to be perfect. Here is the way your partnership will work.
Within 4 days of your on site presentation you should have completed the written version of your paper. After your paper has been written, you can send a Word version to your editing partner for editing and cc me. (For editing sake this version should not have pictures attached make note of the pictures you will include where you will include them on the final version.)
As an editing partner, it is now your job to proof-read your partners paper. Check not only for spelling and grammar mistakes, but also how does the paper read? Is everything clear and understandable? Is anything missing? You will post all of your editing notes to your partner in Word as comments on the paper. These comments will show both the writer and me that you have carefully read the paper and took the necessary time to adequately proof their work. The editor must now send the writer and me copies of the paper with comments. The writer can make any necessary changes. As an editor it will be your responsibility to do your work in a timely matter so articles can be posted within a timely manner. Your editing as well as your writing will make up your grade for the paper.
At this stage the paper is ready to formally turn in. The writer must now load the paper onto their individual blog with its pictures. At this stage I will assume that there are no more changes to me made.
Since this is a partnership, everyone will have the opportunity and responsibility to not only proof and edit a paper, but be edited by the same person.
2. Daily Diary and Weekly Vlog Partnership
Students will work in pairs to record and describe the activities of one week of the program for the Honors blog. This written component of the course blog will provide a historical record for our program that can be viewed by future program participants. It also provides anyone viewing the blog (i.e. your parents, family, and friends; the Dean, Provost or other UW faculty) with an enviable account of what we are doing everyday in Rome. Posts should be made in a timely manner (within 2 days) and include at least 2 (no more than 4) pictures. Pictures should be scaled to a resolution no higher than 600x800 dpi.
In addition, partners will create a short video (“vlog”) that will be posted to the course blog. The vlog will illustrate/summarize the highlights of that week’s activities. Be creative and have fun! For examples of past Honors study abroad vlogs, visit:
http://honorsinberlin2009.blogspot.com/
http://amsterdamvideoblog2008.blogspot.com/
For information on how posting video to blog (and create a “vlog”!) go to:
http://www.google.com/support/blogger/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=67428
Vlog Schedule
Week #2- January 11-17 (Stephanie and Tim)
Week #3 – January 18-24 (Sijia and Nick)
Week #4 – January 25-31 (Derek and Guilia)
Week #5- February 1-7 (Natalia and Lauren)
Week #6 – February 8- 14 (Conner and Erika)
Week #7 – February 15-21 (Alexis and Teo)
Week #8- February 22-28 (Mick and Carisa)
Week #9- March 1-March 7 (Julie and Lisa)
Note:
Julie has a few Flip video cameras you can check out for your vlog assignment. Email her to reserve. Rome Center also has equipment available for check out. Check at the UWRC office.
3. The Rione Assignment Partnership
As part of the Borders course, partners will visit a neighborhood to learn about the residents, economy of the neighborhood, and also social communities and activities. Partners will present their observations and reflections during the final weeks of the program. Some neighborhoods to explore: Jewish Ghetto; Pantheon; Celio, Fora, Monti, Termini Station, Quirinale, Trastevere. We will discuss this assignment in more detail on Tuesday, 2nd week.
Independent Research
Honors Program in Rome, Winter 2010
Rome: City of Contradiction and Ambiguity
Independent Research Component
2-credits
For this component of the program, students have the opportunity to create independent research projects and explore specific interests linked to the larger themes of our seminar in Rome. Each participant in the seminar will work in groups of 3-4 to collectively research a specific community-related topic in Rome (see the project list below.) The independent research projects will deepen the exploration of communities, contradiction and ambiguity. More specifically, students will continue their investigation of identity, public/private borders, and the concept of insider/outsider. Each group member will have an opportunity to focus within the topic, but groups must work collaboratively to produce a final presentation and write-up.
Research methods for the projects may include the following: on-site field research and observation, interviews, use of required and recommended course readings, internet and Rome Center library searches, viewing films, photographs, literary reviews, and guest lecturers as resource.
PRESENTATION
Presentations will take place during the final week of our seminar in Rome. You should prepare a two-page handout for the other students to follow while you do your presentations. The handout should also include some questions that will generate discussion with the whole class. Your group presentation should last between 30-40 minutes with an additional 15 minutes for discussion.
PAPER
A 5-7 write-up (double spaced) is due at the end of the winter term and will be posted to the course blog. The completed write-up should include visual or media enhancements, for example: photos, audio, Google mapping, videos, your personal art, poems, recordings of interviews (if subject has given consent), etc. Due date: last day of class, March 11.
PROJECT LIST/CHOOSE YOUR TOP TWO
Before our final meeting in December, you should decide which project option you wish to work on. You should have two choices in mind – a primary selection and a secondary option. We will discuss the topic choices and then divide you into teams.
Within the broad topic-headings listed below, your team is free to develop a more specific theme to research. Again, remember that the particular angle you choose to approach should incorporate the themes of our seminar in Rome, particularly the idea of identity as related to communities, contradictions and borders in Rome (physical, psychological, cultural, and national borders).
Consider: How are communities defined depending on nation, culture, religion, race, familial? How does community utilize space – both physical and psychological - in building, changing, and perpetuating identity? What role does technology play in community/social networking in Rome? How do you define community in your specific case? Consider your subject position (i.e. how you define community and your role(s) in specific communities).
Please note: topics are somewhat “borderless”. They will crossover and mix with other project topics. Groups are encouraged to share resources and insights.
1. Faith and Religion
--Interfaith issues; mosques, synagogues, temples; “The Church”, peace and justice movements; ceremonial processions, religious festivals and traditions. Sijia, Carisa, and Conner
2. Immigration/Migration/Mobile Communities
--Immigrant communities, generational issues, soccer clubs, immigration policy
Steph, Alexis, Derek , & Natalia
3. Monuments/Memorials & Arts – written, spoken, visual, performance, music
--Funerary art and monuments; memory perpetuation and ritual; inscriptions; obelisks; borderscapes; ancient, modern, and future directions of the city’s urban scape; graffiti (old and new and everything inbetween)
--Art within communities; transnational artists and writers; merging of old and new, past and present; “cultural diversity inspires creativity” Mick , Erika , & Lauren
4. Generational Issues/Youth Culture
-What defines “youth culture” in Rome? What communities are created from youth movements such as CSOAs (grass roots community centers) and “New Italians” also called “G2”. How do sports (e.g. soccer) create community? How and where do 1st, 2nd, 3rd generation immigrants interface? You might consider how education has changed in an increasingly diverse society. Tim, Giulia, Teo, and Nick
EVALUATION
Grades will be calculated based on the following:
Final presentation of research and group discussion
Final research paper and blog post
Contribution to group dynamic
Partner Assignments
While in Rome you will work in partnership with one of your fellow students on three components of the program:
1. Art history editing
2. Daily diary & vlog assignments
3. Neighborhood “rione” field research and presentation
Your partner is also an asset to you as you practice Italian, learn how to navigate Rome, and engage in the day-to-day activities of the city. We hope that the entire group will develop into a caring academic and social community – creating bonds that will continue not only during our time in Rome, but also when you are back in Seattle.
The Learning Partners:
Mick and Carisa
Alexis and Teo
Conner and Erika
Natalia and Lauren
Derek and Guilia
Stephanie and Tim
Sijia and Nick
1. Editing Partnership
When it comes to proof reading a paper they always say that two sets of eyes are better than one. With this idea in mind, you have each been assigned an editing partner to assist with your written art history paper. Since this paper will be posted on the website we want it to be perfect. Here is the way your partnership will work.
Within 4 days of your on site presentation you should have completed the written version of your paper. After your paper has been written, you can send a Word version to your editing partner for editing and cc me. (For editing sake this version should not have pictures attached make note of the pictures you will include where you will include them on the final version.)
As an editing partner, it is now your job to proof-read your partners paper. Check not only for spelling and grammar mistakes, but also how does the paper read? Is everything clear and understandable? Is anything missing? You will post all of your editing notes to your partner in Word as comments on the paper. These comments will show both the writer and me that you have carefully read the paper and took the necessary time to adequately proof their work. The editor must now send the writer and me copies of the paper with comments. The writer can make any necessary changes. As an editor it will be your responsibility to do your work in a timely matter so articles can be posted within a timely manner. Your editing as well as your writing will make up your grade for the paper.
At this stage the paper is ready to formally turn in. The writer must now load the paper onto their individual blog with its pictures. At this stage I will assume that there are no more changes to me made.
Since this is a partnership, everyone will have the opportunity and responsibility to not only proof and edit a paper, but be edited by the same person.
2. Daily Diary and Weekly Vlog Partnership
Students will work in pairs to record and describe the activities of one week of the program for the Honors blog. This written component of the course blog will provide a historical record for our program that can be viewed by future program participants. It also provides anyone viewing the blog (i.e. your parents, family, and friends; the Dean, Provost or other UW faculty) with an enviable account of what we are doing everyday in Rome. Posts should be made in a timely manner (within 2 days) and include at least 2 (no more than 4) pictures. Pictures should be scaled to a resolution no higher than 600x800 dpi.
In addition, partners will create a short video (“vlog”) that will be posted to the course blog. The vlog will illustrate/summarize the highlights of that week’s activities. Be creative and have fun! For examples of past Honors study abroad vlogs, visit:
http://honorsinberlin2009.blogspot.com/
http://amsterdamvideoblog2008.blogspot.com/
For information on how posting video to blog (and create a “vlog”!) go to:
http://www.google.com/support/blogger/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=67428
Vlog Schedule
Week #2- January 11-17 (Stephanie and Tim)
Week #3 – January 18-24 (Sijia and Nick)
Week #4 – January 25-31 (Derek and Guilia)
Week #5- February 1-7 (Natalia and Lauren)
Week #6 – February 8- 14 (Conner and Erika)
Week #7 – February 15-21 (Alexis and Teo)
Week #8- February 22-28 (Mick and Carisa)
Week #9- March 1-March 7 (Julie and Lisa)
Note:
Julie has a few Flip video cameras you can check out for your vlog assignment. Email her to reserve. Rome Center also has equipment available for check out. Check at the UWRC office.
3. The Rione Assignment Partnership
As part of the Borders course, partners will visit a neighborhood to learn about the residents, economy of the neighborhood, and also social communities and activities. Partners will present their observations and reflections during the final weeks of the program. Some neighborhoods to explore: Jewish Ghetto; Pantheon; Celio, Fora, Monti, Termini Station, Quirinale, Trastevere. We will discuss this assignment in more detail on Tuesday, 2nd week.
Independent Research
Honors Program in Rome, Winter 2010
Rome: City of Contradiction and Ambiguity
Independent Research Component
2-credits
For this component of the program, students have the opportunity to create independent research projects and explore specific interests linked to the larger themes of our seminar in Rome. Each participant in the seminar will work in groups of 3-4 to collectively research a specific community-related topic in Rome (see the project list below.) The independent research projects will deepen the exploration of communities, contradiction and ambiguity. More specifically, students will continue their investigation of identity, public/private borders, and the concept of insider/outsider. Each group member will have an opportunity to focus within the topic, but groups must work collaboratively to produce a final presentation and write-up.
Research methods for the projects may include the following: on-site field research and observation, interviews, use of required and recommended course readings, internet and Rome Center library searches, viewing films, photographs, literary reviews, and guest lecturers as resource.
PRESENTATION
Presentations will take place during the final week of our seminar in Rome. You should prepare a two-page handout for the other students to follow while you do your presentations. The handout should also include some questions that will generate discussion with the whole class. Your group presentation should last between 30-40 minutes with an additional 15 minutes for discussion.
PAPER
A 5-7 write-up (double spaced) is due at the end of the winter term and will be posted to the course blog. The completed write-up should include visual or media enhancements, for example: photos, audio, Google mapping, videos, your personal art, poems, recordings of interviews (if subject has given consent), etc. Due date: last day of class, March 11.
PROJECT LIST/CHOOSE YOUR TOP TWO
Before our final meeting in December, you should decide which project option you wish to work on. You should have two choices in mind – a primary selection and a secondary option. We will discuss the topic choices and then divide you into teams.
Within the broad topic-headings listed below, your team is free to develop a more specific theme to research. Again, remember that the particular angle you choose to approach should incorporate the themes of our seminar in Rome, particularly the idea of identity as related to communities, contradictions and borders in Rome (physical, psychological, cultural, and national borders).
Consider: How are communities defined depending on nation, culture, religion, race, familial? How does community utilize space – both physical and psychological - in building, changing, and perpetuating identity? What role does technology play in community/social networking in Rome? How do you define community in your specific case? Consider your subject position (i.e. how you define community and your role(s) in specific communities).
Please note: topics are somewhat “borderless”. They will crossover and mix with other project topics. Groups are encouraged to share resources and insights.
1. Faith and Religion
--Interfaith issues; mosques, synagogues, temples; “The Church”, peace and justice movements; ceremonial processions, religious festivals and traditions. Sijia, Carisa, and Conner
2. Immigration/Migration/Mobile Communities
--Immigrant communities, generational issues, soccer clubs, immigration policy
Steph, Alexis, Derek , & Natalia
3. Monuments/Memorials & Arts – written, spoken, visual, performance, music
--Funerary art and monuments; memory perpetuation and ritual; inscriptions; obelisks; borderscapes; ancient, modern, and future directions of the city’s urban scape; graffiti (old and new and everything inbetween)
--Art within communities; transnational artists and writers; merging of old and new, past and present; “cultural diversity inspires creativity” Mick , Erika , & Lauren
4. Generational Issues/Youth Culture
-What defines “youth culture” in Rome? What communities are created from youth movements such as CSOAs (grass roots community centers) and “New Italians” also called “G2”. How do sports (e.g. soccer) create community? How and where do 1st, 2nd, 3rd generation immigrants interface? You might consider how education has changed in an increasingly diverse society. Tim, Giulia, Teo, and Nick
EVALUATION
Grades will be calculated based on the following:
Final presentation of research and group discussion
Final research paper and blog post
Contribution to group dynamic
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Week 1 Syllabus Review, Friday January 8
Meet in classroom, 1st floor of UW Rome Center:
1. Go over syllabus and independent research projects. Weekly writing assignments. Vlog schedule.
2. Also, as time allows: Intro to EU and Borders. Overview of border studies with comparative look at Bordered cities and Borderscapes
3. Discuss borders in Rome & different ways of seeing the city
Read:
1.http://europa.eu/index_en.htm
2.http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/public/default_en.htm
3.http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/justice_freedom_security/free_movement_of_persons_asylum_immigration/l33020_en.htm
4. "Borders in a Borderless World"
--We will begin discussion of the readings above and continue next week.
Assign writing #1 –seeing borders in Rome (for inspiration read “Roman Hours” in The Smiles of Rome)
Again, we will start our discussion of the readings on Friday and then continue discussion on Tuesday, 1/12
1. Go over syllabus and independent research projects. Weekly writing assignments. Vlog schedule.
2. Also, as time allows: Intro to EU and Borders. Overview of border studies with comparative look at Bordered cities and Borderscapes
3. Discuss borders in Rome & different ways of seeing the city
Read:
1.http://europa.eu/index_en.htm
2.http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/public/default_en.htm
3.http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/justice_freedom_security/free_movement_of_persons_asylum_immigration/l33020_en.htm
4. "Borders in a Borderless World"
--We will begin discussion of the readings above and continue next week.
Assign writing #1 –seeing borders in Rome (for inspiration read “Roman Hours” in The Smiles of Rome)
Again, we will start our discussion of the readings on Friday and then continue discussion on Tuesday, 1/12
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)