Università dell'Immagine
Encyclopedia
Università dell'Immagine, (also known as "UI") was the post-secondary training school of Fondazione Industria Onlus Milan, a non-profit organization founded by the photographer Fabrizio Ferri. UI offered an experimental, two-year certificate program on the five senses in Milan
, Italy
, between 1998 and 2006.
, wanted to create a campus environment where creative professionals from disparate fields would find common ground in studying the word "immagine" or image. Ferri believes that images are not merely visual stimuli, nor are they static objects. According to Ferri, “Image is the harmony defined by the integrated work of the senses.”
While developing the two-year training program of UI with Tania Silvia Gianesin, the school's eventual Dean, between 1997-1998, Ferri compiled his ideas in various written documents, including UI's brochure, enrollment documents and academic lectures. According to Ferri, "Image is the form of communication
, language
and literature
of this new century. An image originates from a received input
, which is elaborated in order to express a personal 'point of view
,' that can be communicated through different means. All creative processes are defined by the sequence: input, elaboration and output. These three terms also describe the synthesis of the digital system. The individual perception
of values - just as one’s own point of view - must be formed by a process of knowledge
, elaboration and synthesis, in order to be valuable and useful. Should this process not occur, the resulting image would be hurled in the void of 'professionalism' without culture. It is not 'the end that justifies the means
' that frees us from responsibilities, but the understanding of the ends for a responsible choice of the means."
and communication
, understood as professions holistically viewed through all senses. The formative activity was therefore realized through a program constructed around the five senses – sight
, hearing
, touch, taste
, and smell
– and the links between them, the synergy
and coherence
of the contents. The subject matter was organized following the guidelines: Input, Elaboration, Output, to which Research is added, applied in turn through UI's various laboratories, including the Laboratory of the Senses and the Laboratory of Psychophysiology.
The work of the student
s and teacher
s involved exercises, projects and lessons, and tended towards:
a return to a sensitivity
such that one can use the senses consistent with their expression; to contribute to knowledge and recognition of the inclinations of the students, safeguarding their originality and authenticity
; to accompany and orient the choices of individual students; to create a good working team; to encourage interaction of diverse approaches and elaboration, rather than transmit a predefined knowledge; to define the relationship between ethics
and aesthetics
.
The school was set up on the principle of auto-determination and self-evaluation and therefore measured only the sense of responsibility, sociability, seriousness and authenticity of the students, who were selected for businesses through the realization of projects and an internship program, consistent with their aptitudes. The school had an international vocation and welcomed students of various nationalities, facilitating and promoting a multicultural approach.
s in total, coming from 12 different countries. Dean of the Università dell'Immagine, since its foundation up to the final year, was Tania Silvia Gianesin.
building located in Via Gaspare Bugatti 7, Milan, Italy. The premises were next to Industria Superstudio (shooting studios), Industria Musica (recording studios) and Ristorante Industria (restaurant), were UI lessons and projects often took place. Students had also access to a dance hall
, where Aikido
, Yoga
/Body Awareness classes and special projects were held.
1,2,3,4,5: Ceriani A., Nigro V. "Dai sensi un apprendere - Percorsi di apprendimento, innovazioni metodologiche e didattiche nell'esperienza dell'Università dell'Immagine". Franco Angeli, Milano 2006
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, between 1998 and 2006.
Ferri's Philosophy of the Image
Università dell'Immagine literally translates in English as "the University of the Image." Fabrizio Ferri, UI's founder, and an early pioneer in the usage of digital technology in fashion photographyFashion photography
Fashion photography is a genre of photography devoted to displaying clothing and other fashion items. Fashion photography is most often conducted for advertisements or fashion magazines such as Vogue, Vanity Fair, or Elle...
, wanted to create a campus environment where creative professionals from disparate fields would find common ground in studying the word "immagine" or image. Ferri believes that images are not merely visual stimuli, nor are they static objects. According to Ferri, “Image is the harmony defined by the integrated work of the senses.”
While developing the two-year training program of UI with Tania Silvia Gianesin, the school's eventual Dean, between 1997-1998, Ferri compiled his ideas in various written documents, including UI's brochure, enrollment documents and academic lectures. According to Ferri, "Image is the form of communication
Communication
Communication is the activity of conveying meaningful information. Communication requires a sender, a message, and an intended recipient, although the receiver need not be present or aware of the sender's intent to communicate at the time of communication; thus communication can occur across vast...
, language
Language
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
and literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
of this new century. An image originates from a received input
Input
Input is the term denoting either an entrance or changes which are inserted into a system and which activate/modify a process. It is an abstract concept, used in the modeling, system design and system exploitation...
, which is elaborated in order to express a personal 'point of view
Point of view
Point of view, sometimes used interchangeably with viewpoint, may refer to:* Point of view or narrative mode, the perspective of the narrative voice; the pronoun used in narration* Point of view , the angle of painter vision...
,' that can be communicated through different means. All creative processes are defined by the sequence: input, elaboration and output. These three terms also describe the synthesis of the digital system. The individual perception
Perception
Perception is the process of attaining awareness or understanding of the environment by organizing and interpreting sensory information. All perception involves signals in the nervous system, which in turn result from physical stimulation of the sense organs...
of values - just as one’s own point of view - must be formed by a process of knowledge
Knowledge
Knowledge is a familiarity with someone or something unknown, which can include information, facts, descriptions, or skills acquired through experience or education. It can refer to the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject...
, elaboration and synthesis, in order to be valuable and useful. Should this process not occur, the resulting image would be hurled in the void of 'professionalism' without culture. It is not 'the end that justifies the means
Means
Means was a Christian Post-hardcore/Melodic hardcore band from Regina, Saskatchewan. The band was formed in 2001 under the name of Means 2 An End as a 3-piece by main-songwriter/lyricist Matt Goud. They were originally from the small city of Dauphin, Manitoba. In 2003, they relocated to Regina, SK...
' that frees us from responsibilities, but the understanding of the ends for a responsible choice of the means."
Mission
Università dell'Immagine was the formative school of Fondazione Industria Onlus Milan, founded by Fabrizio Ferri. It was a two-year course that prepared young people for the diverse trades related to imageImage
An image is an artifact, for example a two-dimensional picture, that has a similar appearance to some subject—usually a physical object or a person.-Characteristics:...
and communication
Communication
Communication is the activity of conveying meaningful information. Communication requires a sender, a message, and an intended recipient, although the receiver need not be present or aware of the sender's intent to communicate at the time of communication; thus communication can occur across vast...
, understood as professions holistically viewed through all senses. The formative activity was therefore realized through a program constructed around the five senses – sight
Sight
Sight may refer to:*Visual perception*Sight , used to assist aim by guiding the eye*Sight , a 2005 concert DVD by Keller Williams*Sight , a first-person shooter video game created by FPS Creator...
, hearing
Hearing
Hearing may refer to:* Hearing , the sense by which sound is perceived* Hearing , a person who has hearing within normal parameters* Hearing , a legal proceeding before a court or other decision making body or officer...
, touch, taste
Taste
Taste is one of the traditional five senses. It refers to the ability to detect the flavor of substances such as food, certain minerals, and poisons, etc....
, and smell
Smell
Smell may refer to:* Olfaction, sense of smell, the ability of humans and other animals to perceive odors* Odor, the percept resultant from the sense of smell...
– and the links between them, the synergy
Synergy
Synergy may be defined as two or more things functioning together to produce a result not independently obtainable.The term synergy comes from the Greek word from , , meaning "working together".-Definitions and usages:...
and coherence
Coherence
Coherence, coherency, or coherent can refer to:- In physics :* Coherence ** Polarization** Quantum** Spatial** Spectral** Temporal* Coherence time- In mathematics :...
of the contents. The subject matter was organized following the guidelines: Input, Elaboration, Output, to which Research is added, applied in turn through UI's various laboratories, including the Laboratory of the Senses and the Laboratory of Psychophysiology.
The work of the student
Student
A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In some nations, the English term is reserved for those who attend university, while a schoolchild under the age of eighteen is called a pupil in English...
s and teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
s involved exercises, projects and lessons, and tended towards:
a return to a sensitivity
Sensitivity
Stimulus|Sensitivity may refer to:* Sensitivity , the ability to react to a stimulus* Sensitivity , the strength of physical or emotional reaction in people* Sensitivity , variations in process dynamics and control systems...
such that one can use the senses consistent with their expression; to contribute to knowledge and recognition of the inclinations of the students, safeguarding their originality and authenticity
Authenticity
Authenticity refers to the truthfulness of origins, attributions, commitments, sincerity, devotion, and intentions.Authenticity or Authentic may refer to:*Authentication, having passed the tests thereof...
; to accompany and orient the choices of individual students; to create a good working team; to encourage interaction of diverse approaches and elaboration, rather than transmit a predefined knowledge; to define the relationship between ethics
Ethics
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
and aesthetics
Aesthetics
Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of beauty, art, and taste, and with the creation and appreciation of beauty. It is more scientifically defined as the study of sensory or sensori-emotional values, sometimes called judgments of sentiment and taste...
.
The school was set up on the principle of auto-determination and self-evaluation and therefore measured only the sense of responsibility, sociability, seriousness and authenticity of the students, who were selected for businesses through the realization of projects and an internship program, consistent with their aptitudes. The school had an international vocation and welcomed students of various nationalities, facilitating and promoting a multicultural approach.
Administration and Organisation
The two-year course had 158 international studentInternational student
According to Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development , international students are those who travel to a country different from their own for the purpose of tertiary study. Despite that, the definition of international students varies in each country in accordance to their own national...
s in total, coming from 12 different countries. Dean of the Università dell'Immagine, since its foundation up to the final year, was Tania Silvia Gianesin.
Teachers/Subjects
| Teacher | Subject |
|---|---|
| Enrica Baldi | Sensory Perception (Montessori) |
| Anna Barbara | Sensorial Design |
| Benedetta Barzini Benedetta Barzini Benedetta Barzini is an Italian actress and model, daughter of Italian journalist and author Luigi Barzini, Jr. and his second wife, heiress Paola Gadola Feltrinelli... |
Image Decoding |
| David Bychkov | Holographic Cinema |
| Brunetto Casalini | Film Editing |
| Alessandro De Benedittis | Business Plan |
| Stefano Di Tommaso | Photographic Studio |
| Francesco Dondina | Graphic Design |
| Jean-Claude Ellena Jean-Claude Ellena Jean-Claude Ellena is a perfumer or "nose." He has the business and practice of perfumery in his blood. At an early age, he picked roses with his grandmother to sell to perfumers, and, in fact, his father, brother, and daughter are perfumers... |
Perfume Science |
| Fabrizio Ferri | Image and creative journey |
| Vinicio Ferri | Photographic Techniques |
| Paola Goretti | Scenarios |
| Nancy Martin | Touch |
| Davide Paolini | Taste territories |
| Pino Pischetola | Guide to music listening |
| Armon Rossi | Aikido Aikido is a Japanese martial art developed by Morihei Ueshiba as a synthesis of his martial studies, philosophy, and religious beliefs. Aikido is often translated as "the Way of unifying life energy" or as "the Way of harmonious spirit." Ueshiba's goal was to create an art that practitioners could use to... /Body Awareness |
| Fabio Selvafiorita | Sound Design |
| Roger Schmid | Team building in a global world |
| Maria Sebregondi | Language Perception |
| Raffaele Stefani | Acoustic Theory |
| Symrise Symrise Symrise is a major producer of flavors and fragrances with sales of € 1,572 million in 2010. Major competitors include Firmenich, Givaudan, International Flavors and Fragrances and Takasago International.-History:... |
Flavors |
| Symrise | Global Marketing |
| Letizia Schmid | Sensory Research |
Campus
The campus was based in a conversion warehouseWarehouse
A warehouse is a commercial building for storage of goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial areas of cities and towns. They usually have loading docks to load and unload...
building located in Via Gaspare Bugatti 7, Milan, Italy. The premises were next to Industria Superstudio (shooting studios), Industria Musica (recording studios) and Ristorante Industria (restaurant), were UI lessons and projects often took place. Students had also access to a dance hall
Dance hall
Dance hall in its general meaning is a hall for dancing. From the earliest years of the twentieth century until the early 1960s, the dance hall was the popular forerunner of the discothèque or nightclub...
, where Aikido
Aikido
is a Japanese martial art developed by Morihei Ueshiba as a synthesis of his martial studies, philosophy, and religious beliefs. Aikido is often translated as "the Way of unifying life energy" or as "the Way of harmonious spirit." Ueshiba's goal was to create an art that practitioners could use to...
, Yoga
Yoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
/Body Awareness classes and special projects were held.
Projects
Throughout the years the school developed creative and research projects for/with international clients and institutions.1,2,3,4,5: Ceriani A., Nigro V. "Dai sensi un apprendere - Percorsi di apprendimento, innovazioni metodologiche e didattiche nell'esperienza dell'Università dell'Immagine". Franco Angeli, Milano 2006