Davide Dal Sasso is an Assistant Professor (RTD-A) of Aesthetics. He has two master’s degrees, in Philosophy and Art History, and he obtained his PhD in Philosophy from the University of Torino. He is a member of Labont-Center for Ontology, SIE (Società Italiana d’Estetica), and NSAE (Nordic Society for Aesthetics).
His research focuses on three main subjects: the relationship between philosophy, aesthetics and contemporary arts; the essence of artistic practices; the nature of the catalogue and its relationship with the archive. The first topic is addressed by examining certain outcomes of contemporary arts in the light of some of the traditional themes of Aesthetics: beauty, experience, sensitivity; of the roles of representation and expression; of the relationship between form and structure. The study concerning artistic practices is developed by investigating the link between forms and processes and the roles that creativity, technology, and rules for artistic creation have. The investigation of the catalogue aims to show that it would be a key element for human organization and the condition of possibility for the archive. Currently, he is working on the relationship between the archive, cultural heritage, and visual culture.
Main research interests:
• Aesthetics and Philosophy of Art
• Theories of Archive
• Critical Theories of the Arts
• Structuralism
• Curatorial Studies
• Theories of Performance
• Creativity Studies
As an extension of his research Dal Sasso has organized workshops with artists dedicated to the study of artistic practices at Viafarini - a non-profit organization for the promotion of artistic research, Milano; IUAV University of Venice; IDA-Institute of Dance Arts, Anton Bruckner Privatüniversitat, Linz, Austria. He has written several articles on topics of aesthetics, contemporary art and philosophy of art. He is the author of the books Nel segno dell’essenziale. L’arte dopo il concettualismo (Rosenberg & Sellier, 2020) and The Ground Zero of the Arts: Rules, Processes, Forms (Brill, 2021). He co-edited with the philosopher Maurizio Ferraris (Università di Torino) and the semiologist Ugo Volli (Università di Torino) the issue of Rivista di Estetica Rethinking Philosophy, Semiotics, and the Arts with Umberto Eco (2021); with the philosopher Elisabeth Schellekens (Uppsala University) the volume Aesthetics, Philosophy, and Martin Creed (Bloomsbury, 2022). Dal Sasso edited the book Prima dell'archivio Il catalogo tra soggetti e oggetti (il Mulino, 2024).
Office Hours for PhD Students:
22 and 30 January 2025
4 and 12 February 2025
12 and 26 March 2025
15 and 16 April 2025