Curatorial Practice
Designing exhibitions and innovative cultural experiences with strategy and vision
Florence
ENG
Master
Language
English
Start date
November 2026
Frequency
Full time
Fruition
On campus
Duration
1 Year
Course Coordination
Daria Filardo
Price
EU Students: €20.300
Non EU and EFTA+ Students: €22.300
Learn how to interpret, analyse and tell about reality with the language of art as you create exhibitions, shows and cultural events. This is what awaits you in the Master’s Course in Curatorial Practice at IED Firenze
The Master’s Course in Curatorial Practice at IED Firenze is training up future professional curators with solid theory knowledge and extensive hands-on experience in creating exhibitions and shows from concept development all the way to project execution.
On this Master’s Course , you will learn how the professional curator -one who is increasingly in demand on the market- can produce knowledge that translates into accurate organization and communication of exhibitions within contexts where artworks can experience constant interaction with the space around them.
Information to decide
Get involved in current debates and create new worlds using the visual language of art
The Master’s Course in Curatorial Practice at IED Firenze provides a step-by-step working method that can be successfully applied when managing such projects as exhibitions or shows from early concept development to complete execution. It will also help you develop a project design approach to address all the challenges and persistent changes that the contemporary art industry is continuing to experience.
The first three months of the course will provide theory basis through coursework in visual art, museum science and exhibition history, with a view to building up shared knowledge across all the different student backgrounds. As of the fourth month, you will start working with renowned curators and professionals, all of them from national and international institutions, on a variety of specific curatorial tasks connected with exhibitions, public programs, verbal and written narratives. We will walk you through visits, lectures, talks and group work on specific projects, as you move towards the creation of your own unique curatorial style.
A very important part of this programme will be your Final Project. You will work as part of a team on a variety of projects, including the making of an exhibition, of a public program and also a publication, always in close cooperation with one of our partner institutions.
There are 3 main areas at the core of this learning experience: thearea of cultural studies, with an introduction to the history of modern and contemporary art, critical analysis of recent trends and insight into current curatorial strategies; thearea of technical and practical skills, which is essential to develop key organizational and management skills involved in a show or exhibition, as well as communication and marketing skills to reach out to different target groups; and finally, an intensive hands-on practice phase covering both curatorial work and a complete dissertation project from concept development to execution.
The Master’s Course in Curatorial Practice at IED Firenze is for anyone who wants to embrace the many different perspectives of what it means to be a curator: a professional who knows how to protect and care for artistic heritage, selecting new works, telling stories and interpreting artworks as they are presented and exhibited. But most importantly, a curator is someone who looks at exhibitions as a way of viewing and experiencing culture, producing knowledge through visual forms of language connected with multiple types of contemporary storytelling.
This Master’s Course is intended for anyone who wants to specialise as a professional in the area of curatorial work, with a special focus on the design of exhibitions and shows for museums, galleries, trade fairs, and auction houses. A background in arts and project management is highly recommended, though not a prerequisite.
Graduates of the programme will be able to successfully carry out curatorial projects and work in open, inclusive institutions, with a new perspective on public curatorships for museums, galleries and non-profit organizations. They will be looking after commissioning, writing and publishing activities, as well as career opportunities for art fairs, auction houses, art criticism, education, consulting and studio management.
The Master’s Course in Curatorial Practice at IED Firenze wants to answer the question 'What does it mean to work with contemporary art today?' by providing cross-curricular education, where many different skills can be combined with as many different contexts and artistic forms of expression.
This Master’s Course aims to develop project management and communication skills, awareness and critical thinking. All this will be useful when creating visual worlds where your personal vision interacts with new perspectives brought by the artists involved in your work. Your vision will be based on visual, artistic and educational signs, across a network of professional relationships that will help you promote your project.
You will experience the incomparable and prestigious background offered by the city of Florence. Here you will have the opportunity to join the current debate around curatorial work and best practice with some of the most accredited professionals in the art world, as you also delve into this world with a fresh, innovative drive. In Florence you will be involved in theory lectures, studio visits, exchanges and in-depth studies, developing projects and verbal storytelling with an insight into current artistic trends. Coursework will be held in small classes providing a workshop-like experience, thus allowing you to grow and strengthen your skills in a more organised way.
This Master’s Course has a constant focus on changes in the cultural production market and will help you build up your personal work portfolio. All this will be possible as we can count on a top-notch faculty with experience in major institutions. Prestigious partnerships, like the one with Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi, are also part of the program and will help you greatly as you move ahead in your career.
The main software you will need during your course is provided by IED!
On this page you will find all the features you need for your computer.
Syllabus
The Master’s Course in Curatorial Practice at IED Firenze provides a step-by-step working method that can be successfully applied when managing such projects as exhibitions or shows from early concept development to complete execution.
It will also help you develop a project design approach to address all the challenges and persistent changes that the contemporary art industry is continuing to experience.
- Contemporary Art History
- Museum Studies
- History of Exhibitions
- Exhibition Management
- Fundraising and Cultivating Donors
- Writing and Publishing
- Audience Development
- Contemporary Art System
- Curatorial Insights
- Curating and Project Development
- Curatorial and Project Outcomes
- Case history: Fairs and International Exhibitions
- Public Space as a Curatorial Methodology
- Final Project
Faculty
Mentor
Leonardo Bigazzi
Curator
Course Coordinator
Daria Filardo
Art historian, Curator, Educator
Raimundas Malašauskas
Curator and Writer
Pietro Gaglianò
Curator
Yoeri Meessen
Director of National Museum Huis van het boek
Martino Margheri
Professor
Camilla Mozzato
Contemporary Art Curator & Editor
Irene Campolmi
Curator
Lorenzo Di Las Plassas
Journalist
Justin Randolph Thompson
New Media Artist
Projects
What people say
Voices from the Master
"You get to meet a lot of professionals in this field that have extensive background in what they study"
Alumnus
Voices from the Master
"This one year i realized that curation is no one size fits all, and i had the chance to discover different curatorial styles and interests."
Alumna
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