Learning art between technology and new professions

The role he plays today stems from the accumulation of different skills "The core of my time is dedicated to study: AI governance, AI safety, evaluation techniques, regulations and accreditation systems, human-computer interaction, systems autonomy and collaboration, and much more. In a field where knowledge is power, I study every day'. All this is not the result of a specific title, but of a function built over time around an emerging need of cultural institutions.

For Ducros, technology is already culture. 'Even the user interface is a cultural choice'. Artificial intelligence is therefore not a side issue, but a space in which the social function of institutions is also at stake.

Rebecca Romere practises a profession that, for years, has remained inconspicuous, that of registrar (only recently recognised by the Ministry of Culture, with Decree 1112 of 2 July 2024).

"When my colleagues and I answer to a person, not working in the museum sector, "I am a registrar", the next question is almost always "what do you do?" - recounts Romere, registrar at Fondazione Pistoia Musei and president of Registrarte (Italian Association of Registrars of Works of Art, a reference point for the professional category in Italia) - I deal with loans of works of art for exhibitions and all related operational aspects, transport, insurance and ministerial paperwork. Nowadays it is still one of the least known professions. It is a behind-the-scenes activity'. This is precisely why Registrarte was founded in 2000 to define and promote the professional profile and to foster greater understanding and awareness of this role within museums and exhibition facilities.

The path leading to the profession of registrar is also far from linear. In Romere's case, entry came during university, through an experience at the Venice Biennale. "I arrived knowing little about this profession," he says, "but I soon realised that it was what I wanted to do with my life". There followed years of work in the field, first as an assistant and then as registrar, flanked by specialised training built up over time: an advanced course at Ied, targeted experiences to fill in the missing skills, such as six months in a transport company to study logistics and contracts in depth, and assignments in various institutions.

For the registrar, digital enters everyday processes, from condition reports to databases, without replacing the human role. "The human component remains indispensable. This figure remains a hub between different professions, responsible for the correct circulation of information

The experiences of Ducros and Romere show that there is no single path to enter cultural work. University education provides a basis, but is rarely sufficient on its own. In the case of the registrar, learning comes from experience in the field, although today there are more structured training references, such as master's degrees and advanced training courses dedicated to the profession (including the advanced training course promoted by Registrarte in partnership with the University of Brescia-Mantova).

In the case of Ducros, first a competence is built, then a role takes shape. The study of artificial intelligence is intertwined with research, teaching and design activities, resulting in a hybrid professionalism that was not envisaged in traditional paths. "Don't expect there to be a perfect profile or a path already mapped out," he observes.

Learning art today means going beyond the static view of cultural professions. They are born, they transform, they formalise over time. And they often take shape as someone tries, each time, to explain them.

Beatrice Vettori participates in 'Terzo Fattore', a partnership between Il Sole 24 Ore and the Catholic University with the support of TechSoup. The initiative aims to promote knowledge of the third sector. Students carry out internships in non-profit organisations and talk about the most significant aspects of their experiences.