History of Art/ History of Architecture in the Max Planck Society
1. Subproject: The history of the art historical institutes of the Max Planck Society (1948-2002)
This project aims to reconstruct the research in art history conducted at the Bibliotheca Hertziana and at the Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz within their broader institutional history. Intersections and overlaps between the two institutes will be investigated. This concerns both members and staff and art historical objects and methodologies. The history of the two institutes will be also intended as a common history. This includes the history of institutions, methods and knowledge and their related interconnections with contemporary history. Continuities, interruptions and paradigm shifts, as well as social, economic, political and cultural-historical functions, also in the contexts of foreign relations contexts will be analyzed.
2. Subproject: A history of architecture of the Max Planck Society (1948-2002)
The project aims to describe an architectural history which takes into account the research policy of the Max Planck Society and its transformations through an analysis of its buildings. The relationship between science and architecture represented in the buildings of the MPG will be highlighted by specific case-studies. The central question to answer is how architecture responds to the needs of science and how knowledge arises from this dialogue. Through the interaction between architectural knowledge and other forms of knowledge, it aims to build a transdisciplinary history of architectural knowledge of buildings, infrastructures and real estate of the Max Planck Society.