Curating Fascism: Exhibitions and Memory from the Fall of Mussolini to Today

Curating Fascism examines how exhibitions have shaped collective memory, historical narratives, and political discourse around the Italian ventennio, exploring representations of Italian fascism in exhibitions across the world and highlighting blindspots in art and cultural history. It offers fresh perspectives on the historiography, collective memory, and understanding of fascist art and culture from a contemporary standpoint, shedding light on the complex exhibition history of Italian fascism and presenting an innovative approach to exhibition theory.

Format: Hardback
Length: 320 pages
Publication date: 15 December 2022
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Curating Fascism, a comprehensive examination of exhibitions related to fascism from the fall of Benito Mussolini's regime to the present day, explores how these exhibitions have shaped collective memory, historical narratives, and political discourse surrounding the Italian ventennio. The book charts the evolution of fascism exhibitions in Italy since the postwar period, examines representations of Italian fascism in exhibitions worldwide, and identifies blindspots in art and cultural history, as well as in exhibition practices. With contributions from art, architectural, design, and cultural historians, journalists, and curators, the book treats fascism as both a historical moment and a major paradigm that has shaped the present moment since World War II. It interweaves historical perspectives, critical theory, and direct accounts of exhibitions to examine the main curatorial strategies, cultural relevance, and political responsibility of art exhibitions focusing on the Fascist period. Through close analysis, the chapter authors unpack the multifaceted specificity of art shows, including architecture and exhibition design, curatorial choices and institutional history, cultural diplomacy and political history, and theories of viewership and constructed collective memory, to evaluate current curatorial practice. In offering fresh new perspectives on the historiography, collective memory, and understanding of fascist art and culture from a contemporary standpoint, Curating Fascism sheds light on the complex exhibition history of Italian fascism not just within Italy but in such countries as Germany, France, and the United States.

Weight: 820g
Dimension: 165 x 242 x 22 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781350229464