CSAC - University of Parma Communication Archive
Museum | Parma | Emilia-Romagna | Italy
The CSAC - Centro Studi e Archivio della Comunicazione is a research center at the University of Parma, founded in 1968 by Professor Arturo Carlo Quintavalle. It is dedicated to the collection, preservation, cataloging, and promotion of cultural heritage in the fields of art, photography, media, design, and entertainment. Since 2007, the CSAC is located in the Abbey of Valserena, also known as the Charterhouse of Paradigna, about ten kilometers from Parma. The archive includes over 12 million individual objects, including paintings, sculptures, photographs, design objects, and more.
Collections and Exhibitions
The CSAC is divided into five main sections:
Fine Art: This collection includes over 1,700 paintings, 300 sculptures, and 17,000 drawings, providing a comprehensive overview of the Italian art scene of the 20th century.
Photography: The photography collection of CSAC is one of the most important in Italy and includes works by photographers such as Luigi Ghirri, Mario Cresci, and Guido Guidi.
Media: This section includes materials related to film, television, and radio, including scripts, set designs, and production notes.
Design: The design collection includes designs, models, and prototypes by designers such as Ettore Sottsass and Achille Castiglioni.
Entertainment: This collection includes materials related to theater, music, and dance, including set designs, costumes, and programs.
The CSAC regularly organizes exhibitions that showcase both its own collections and loans. An example is the exhibition "1968. Un Anno," which examines the year 1968 from the perspective of visual communication and design.
Research Activities and Educational Programs
The CSAC serves as a research center and provides scientific advice to support teaching, research, and design. It organizes exhibitions and has over 100 exhibitions and publications to its credit.
The archive is accessible to students, graduates, scholars, researchers, curators, and anyone interested in scientific purposes. Consultation of archive materials takes place in a special consultation room and is only possible by appointment.
Latest Developments
In November 2021, the CSAC opened the "Live Archive" path, which completely redesigned the archive spaces and integrated them into the exhibition space. This project was realized with the support of the Emilia-Romagna region and aims to make the archive more accessible to the public.
Overall, the CSAC represents a significant cultural heritage that documents and promotes the history and development of Italian art, design, and visual communication.
