Propaganda and the art of fascism in Italy is a must-see case study in the tools of oppressive politics for all

In times of populism, education is vital. Therefore, the exhibition Propaganda: the art of Political Indoctrination in Italy, 1902-1950 with a focus on fascism is an absolute must-see.

Curated by Nicola Lucchi the documentary exhibition which premieres at Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò at New York University on the 4^th of March aims to investigate the inner workings of propaganda through the lens of 20th century Italian politics.

Featuring works from the two decades of Mussolini’s dictatorial government (1922-1943, followed by two additional years at the helm of the Italian Social Republic, a Nazi puppet-state in northern Italy), plus select pieces from the edges of this period that help contextualize the exhibition presents a variety of material from the Fondazione Massimo and Sonia Cirulli.

"These years constitute the most problematic period in modern Italian history, and the fascist use of propaganda—which enlisted prominent artists in the service of its bankrupt ideology—is a case study in the tools of oppressive politics" notes the introduction to Propaganda.

"The exhibition illustrates how fascist political propaganda coopted modernist aesthetics, mass communication, marketing techniques, and popular culture to manipulate society and muster support for its totalitarian endeavors. Considered together, the propaganda emerging from fascism, as well as from the particularly tense democratic times surrounding the fascist period, provide an opportunity to deconstruct the rhetoric of political communication in its entirety, and represent a call to engage critically with the multitude of competing political narratives that surround us today."

Propaganda, the art of political indoctrination in Italy, 1902-1950 with works from the Fondazione Massimo and Sonia Cirulli at Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò is on view through April 17, 2020.

The insightful exhibition on the propaganda machine and its manipulative ways to spread hate is enriched by a calendar of related events.

Check more here.