Adventures abroad

UQ Art History students explore Venice

Olivia Trenordon.

Olivia Trenordon in a Venetian campo.

Olivia Trenordon in a Venetian campo.

Students about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime.

Eleven University of Queensland Art History students recently returned from Venice, Italy, as part of an immersive and intensive two-week on-site study experience.

Specifically designed for those preparing for an international career in the arts industry, this trip was made possible from student grants ($2500 each), as part of the Endeavour Leadership Program.

Course Coordinator for Art and Architecture in Venice (ARTT2116) Dr Andrea Bubenik said the time spent abroad transforms Venice into both the classroom and subject of enquiry; with lectures and research taking place within the galleries, museums, palaces, and neighbourhoods of the city.

A highlight of the trip is a visit to Venice Biennale, the most important exhibition of international contemporary art.

The view from inside the Ca d'Oro.

“Through direct engagement with historical visual culture and architecture and a globally significant art fair, students develop research skills and tools of communication that are foundational for future employees in the arts,” Dr Bubenik said.

“The course directly enables and fosters an educational experience abroad and immersion in a new cultural context."

Because the duration of the tour is spent in Venice, students benefit from living, studying and researching abroad.

“The skills enhanced – critical and direct observation, effective oral and written communication, independent thinking and living – are essential to arts-related practices, thus giving the course significant vocational appeal,” Dr Bubenik said.

2019 participant Nikia Tester said her time spent in Venice made an indelible impression on her learning and was an experience she was extremely grateful for.

The Portrait of the Four Tetrarchs, on the corner of the facade of San Marco.

“There is no better way to learn than to be immersed in a lived experience of art and culture,” she said.

Chloe Marston also attended the study tour and said the Venice Art and Architecture course offered a learning experience drastically different to one that she would have had through any lecture.

"We were able to actively engage with the art and architecture from the 13th to the16th centuries in situ,” she said.

Students in the Arena Chapel in Padua. 

“Seeing these monumental artworks and buildings in person completely changed my perception on Renaissance art as you truly gain a sense of their artistic significance; from when they were made and their importance today.

“It was a highly memorable trip, and I get to take home the knowledge I gained and apply it to future courses.”

Seoyoung Kim agreed and said the on-site nature of the course taught her “invaluable skills and strategies that can be applied to many other areas of study”.

Being in her final semester of her Art History major, Olivia Trenorden is on the cusp of defining her career trajectory after graduation, and this experience cemented her decision to pursue further study in the Renaissance and Baroque periods.

Students in the doorway in Campo Madonna dell'Orto.

“To see the works I have been admiring and studying over the years in person and in their original context was incredible,” Olivia said.

Learn more about studying art history at UQ and discover where a career in the arts industry may lead.

Students about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime.

Students about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime.

Students about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime.

The view from inside the Ca d'Oro.

The view from inside the Ca d'Oro.

The view from inside the Ca d'Oro.

The Portrait of the Four Tetrarchs, on the corner of the facade of San Marco.

The Portrait of the Four Tetrarchs, on the corner of the facade of San Marco.

The Portrait of the Four Tetrarchs, on the corner of the facade of San Marco.

Students in the Arena Chapel in Padua. 

Students in the Arena Chapel in Padua. 

Students in the Arena Chapel in Padua. 

Students in the doorway in Campo Madonna dell'Orto.

Students in the doorway in Campo Madonna dell'Orto.

Students in the doorway in Campo Madonna dell'Orto.

The next offering of the course will be in 2021.

For more information, please contact Dr Andrea Bubenik:

a.bubenik@uq.edu.au

Piazza San Marco.

Piazza San Marco.