THE DECOLONIZATION OF THE MUSEUM. CENTRING AFRO-ITALIAN PRESENCE IN THE ITALIAN ART SYSTEM

Abstract

The following thesis investigates the need to decolonise the Italian museum institution that still does not adequately represent the community of Afro-Italian artists. The issue of inclusivity and equal representation in art institutions is not new, and has been highlighted since the last century, underlying the presence of an art system characterised by the privileging of some social groups and the marginalisation of others. In the specific case of Italy, the problem of decolonisation is rooted in Italy's colonial past, which we talk about too little and which still conditions the present with dynamics of exclusion towards otherness and the persistent idea of an Italian identity that does not take into account its multi-ethnic composition. The ethnographic museum, a symbol of European colonialism par excellence, can be a good starting point for the decolonial debate in Italy, as it is showing that it is coming to terms with its colonial responsibilities and therefore could also be a valid example for contemporary art museums. Indeed, the inclusion of Afro-Italian artists in Italian contemporary art museums is almost absent but their invisibility in the system of art institutions is present in Italian society in general, where Afro-descendants are invisible in the eyes of society because of their blackness but at the same time their appearance makes them easy targets for prejudice and discrimination. This is a problem that Italian society struggles to recognise, pointing the finger at countries such as the United States that are usually the reference point when it comes to racial issues and discrimination against black people. The United States is certainly a curious case to analyse in this sense if we consider its huge African-American community and the struggles it has faced to obtain equal civil rights, even in the art system. Although the United States has experienced significant collective mobilisations throughout history and its activism has inspired the whole world, its art institutions are still trying to improve in terms of inclusivity and equal representation just as Italy is doing; the difference is that Italy has practically just started. The thesis will present some examples of Italian contemporary art museums and cultural initiatives that show a willingness to change direction, considering their strengths but also their limitations, and finally, the case studies of three Afro-Italian artists with a focus on their artistic production and an insight into the black presence in Italian museums from their perspective as protagonists of the art system.