Antifascism as an artistic practice in the 20th and 21st centuries. The course intends to explore a selection of case studies in order to develop a critical reflection on various artistic practices that developed during the 20th century. century and at the beginning of the 21st century in relation to their anti-fascist ideological content. In addition to a historical introduction on the differences between historical fascism and anthropological fascism, works will be analysed, produced between 1920 and 2020, which reflect the complexity of the anti-fascist position and the variety of approaches to the problem: from political satire to testimonies of atrocities, from monumental works to the choice of apocalyptic iconography, from visual propaganda to the most ambiguous abstract compositions of democratic and anti-authoritarian content. The course analyzes the historical contexts within which the works were produced and disseminated and the way in which not only works of art strictu sensu but also wider dissemination images, from the perspective of visual studies, were able to hitting the collective imagination, organizing resistance, starting collective projects by exploiting iconography derived from popular culture and visual strategies sometimes close to those of propaganda. Particular attention will be paid to the role of magazines in experimenting with new image construction techniques.

- Introduction to the course: differences between historical fascism and anthropological fascism (4 hours)

- Period between the two wars: starting from the best-known painting, Guernica by Pablo Picasso, the international anti-fascist movement before the outbreak of the Second World War and its links with the workers' movement will be analysed, following the example of the artists of the Weimar Republic, Krakow Group and left-wing movements in England and the United States. Artists: Käthe Kollwitz; George Grosz; John Heartfield; Alice Neel; Stuart Davis; Ben Shahn; Graham Sutherland; Mario Mafai. Magazines: “Arbeiter Illustrierte Zeitung”, “Die Rote Fahne” (the list may vary) (8 hours)

- Italian artistic practices in relation to the P.C.I. between socialist realism and avant-garde. The influence of socialist realism in post-war Italy will be introduced. The resistance exhibitions. The “New Italian secession” and the “New Front of the Arts”. Togliatti's intervention and the crisis of the artists' "Front". The reaction to Realism: “Forma 1". The role of constructivist-derived graphics. Artists: Armando Pizzinato, Gabriele Mucchi, Giuseppe Zigaina, Renato Guttuso, Aligi Sassu, Albe Steiner, Max Huber. Magazines: “Corrente”, “Rassegna sovietica ”,“Polytechnic”.  (the list may vary) (8 hours)

- The collectivism of the sixties. Artists: Franco Angeli, Fabio Mauri, Martha Rosler, Black Panther. Magazines: “The Black Panther Newspaper” (list may vary) (6 hours)

- Practices from 1989 to today against fascism. Over the past half-century, fascism has ceased to be treated exclusively as the historical ideological formation responsible for genocide, but has been invoked in the context of modern racist, misogynistic, and violent narratives. In the Italian context, the difficulties inherent to the artistic legacy of the fascist era present in the territory will be examined. In the international context, starting from some exhibition initiatives such as the 2019 exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw entitled 'Never Again. Art against war and fascism in the 20th and 21st centuries; the BAK (basis voor actuele kunst) in the Netherlands has started its four-year program “Propositions for Non-Fascist Living” in 2017-2021, contemporary issues will be addressed. Can the legacy of the avant-garde allow for a non-dogmatic anti-fascism? What does it mean for contemporary art to build an anti-fascist public space and public sphere, and what is the role of criticism of colonialist violence in such an effort? These are some of the questions/themes – not always limited to the concerns of each artist – that point to an anti-fascist direction in recent art theory. This part of the course will be enriched by classroom interventions by contemporary artists in the form of Artist Talks who will expose the problem starting from their artistic practice such as the Peruvian Sergio Zevallos and the American artist Rajkamal Kahlon. (10 hours)

Knowledge and ability to understand: In addition to specific contents on the history of fascism, anti-fascism and contemporary art, the course aims to provide tools for critical reflection on different artistic practices in relation to their ideological content. The student must demonstrate that he has acquired a good ability to recognize and describe the works and images observed in class and in the texts in the bibliography such as to allow him a correct historical-cultural collocation. Furthermore, they will have to demonstrate that they have acquired the tools and developed strategies to analyze images, objects and texts and make sense of their aesthetics in relation to their political meaning.
Applied knowledge and understanding Because we will focus on a broad typology of works and image genres (painting; sculpture, illustrations, magazines, photomontages, collages, installations; visual poetry), the students will develop strategies for analyzing images, objects and diversified texts, relating the production context to the styles and techniques adopted and their political meaning. For each case study, the most suitable methodological reading and analysis tools for the different media will be made available. Students who successfully complete this course will develop skills in analyzing images from a stylistic and technical point of view and will be able to delve deeper into the relationship between forms and ideological content, relating visual, textual formats and artistic practice.

Autonomy of judgment Students will acquire critical-analytical skills through the recognition of the works examined in class or present in the manuals. They will also achieve full critical awareness and a mature ability to read works of art by placing them in their historical-cultural context. They will learn to deal with critical literature and visual documents contemporary with the artists' work, thus acquiring a high historical-philological profile. 

Communication skills Students will have to demonstrate that they are able to clearly communicate the knowledge acquired with the use of specific terminology.

Ability to learn Students will have to develop learning skills such that they can continue to study mostly in a self-directed or autonomous way, students will be able to apply their knowledge and their understanding and skills to solve problems and cope new themes.

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

Some lessons may be held outside the classrooms to directly view the works discussed in class. The destination will be discussed and defined with the students during the course.

Teaching

In-class lessons and individual study

Innovative teaching methods

Flipped Classroom and Learning by doing. On the occasion of the meetings with international artists, Artist Talks moderated directly by the students and workshops with the students will be prepared.

Attendance

Attendance is highly recommended. A student who has attended at least 25 hours of lessons, corresponding to 70% of the total hours, is considered to be attending.

Course books

Textbooks:

- Arte della libertà. Antifascismo, guerra e liberazione in Europa 1925-45, Mazzotta (the specific pages will be indicated by the teacher in class).

- Le fascisme italien au prisme des arts contemporains sous la direction de Luca Acquarelli, Laura Iamurri et Francesco Zucconi, Rennes 2021 (the specific pages will be indicated by the teacher in class).

- A difficult heritage. The afterlives of Fascist-era art and architecture, a cura di C. Belmonte, SilvanaEeditoriale 2023 (the specific pages will be indicated by the teacher in class).

The topics covered during the course are part of the preparation, with the reference Powerpoint presentations and supplementary readings of which will be uploaded to the moodle platform and made freely available for consultation.

Teaching

To give students and non-attending students the opportunity to compensate for what is done during lessons with independent study, the following materials referring to the same contents of the program are indicated in order to promote full understanding

- Arte della libertà. Antifascismo, guerra e liberazione in Europa 1925-45, Mazzotta (le pagine specifiche saranno indicate dalla docente a lezione)

- A difficult heritage. The afterlives of Fascist-era art and architecture, a cura di C. Belmonte, SilvanaEeditoriale 2023.

C. Casero, Realismo, Realismi. Alcune considerazioni sulla breve stagione del realismo sociale in Italia, in “”Guardando all’URSS”, Milano 2015, pp. 41-48.

Luca Quattrocchi, Il realismo del dissenso. Arte, marxismo e Pci nelle pagine di ‘Città aperta’ (1957-1958), in "Prospettiva" , Ottobre 2018, No. 172 (Ottobre 2018), pp. 42-62.

M.Sironi, Il “segno rosso” della grafica editoriale italiana”, in “”Guardando all’URSS”, Milano 2015,  pp. 187-192.

E. Francesconi, LA MEMORIA “VELATA” NELLE OPERE DI FRANCO ANGELI, 

Knowledge of the topics covered during the course is required, the reference powerpoint presentations and supplementary readings of which will be uploaded to the moodle platform and made freely available.