Works by Afro-Italians

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION

“The Recovery Plan: Alle porte coi sassi” (The Recovery Plan: At the doors with stones) is an exhibition focused on the recovery of underrepresented and under-narrated fragments of Black history in Italy, both as an invitation towards social healing and as a critique on the exclusion of Black history within Italian culture. It draws its title from a Florentine saying that refers to a late arrival or an imminent change on the horizon. The saying dates to a period where Florence had closed itself within its walls in response to volatile military advances by neighboring cities. Since many Florentines of the period worked in the countryside, outside the city walls, each evening those late to return would throw stones at the gates to be let back into the city.

The project employs this metaphor as a parallel to the experience of people of African descent in Italy, now shaping what constitutes Italianness in contrast with the dominant monoculture.

Adji Dieye

             Culture Lost and Learned by Heart

             Video

             2020

ABOUT THE WORKS

The works presented by the three young artists encourage us to reconsider what constitutes art within the Italian cultural identity.  The multimedia works and installations immerse the viewer and emphasize their role as a bridge between past and present. The artists provide critical insight regarding the shortcomings of preservation and control of archiving practices. Finally, the ambiguity requires active viewer participation in the re-narration of intertwined histories in relation to contemporary Italian society.