PROPAGANDA art: FASCISM, COLONIALISM and campaigns in africa. the “COLONIALISM AND ITS IMAGES” seminar jointly organized by SANT’ANNA school PISA and IMT SCUOLA ALTI STUDI LUCCA, takes places in lucca on friday, november 15

Sant’Anna School Pisa and Scuola IMT Alti Studi Lucca organized their first seminar on “Colonialism and its images” addressing themes of race, inclusion and propaganda through images. Taking place on Friday, 15 November at 2.00 pm, in Lucca - San Francesco complex (piazza San Francesco), the seminar is jointly organized by Barbara Henry (Political Philosophy, Sant’Anna School Dirpolis Institute), Alberto Pirni (Public Ethics, Sant’Anna School Dirpolis Institute) and Emanuele Pellegrini, (Art History, Scuola IMT Alti Studi Lucca) with the support of the Linx – Centre for the Intedisciplinary Analysis of Images.  

Keynote speakers include Giuliana Tomasella (Art History, University of Padova), Mario Coglitore (Art History and Philosophy, Ca’ Foscari University of Venezia) and Agnese Ghezzi (Art History, Scuola IMT Alti Studi Lucca).

“As higher education institutions we explore the traditional assumptions that are the basis of the colonial propaganda art – said Barbara Henry – Besides, this seminar is a key example of how we can create a successful partnership with Scuola IMT. It will investigate the art through political propaganda in the age of colonialism, the visual representation of colonialism, the implications of gender inequality and the persistence of racial discrimination in the modern world”.

Giuliana Tomasella in her presentation on “Art and Colonialism: the representation of African “otherness” in the Fascist Italy. Some food for thought” will answer the questions: When did Fascism recognize the potential of art for propaganda in the construction of colonial imagery? What strategies were used to put figurative arts at the service of Mussolini's expansionist policy?

Additional key questions in the debate will include: “The colours of the novel. Alberto Della Valle illustratori for Emilio Salgari” by Mario Coglitore and “Images and Imagery: Intersection between Photography, Colonialism and Anthropology in Italy (1861-1911)” by Agnese Ghezzi. The seminar will seek to explore the visual representation of colonial Libya and analyze the impact of colonial propaganda and the potential manipulation of public opinion.