African memories. Colonial traces in Italian culture

Eastern Africa prevailed in the Italian imaginary for sixty years. Liberal and then fascist Italy saw the construction of a brief but brutal colonialism. This past left behind self-justifying myths and stereotypes. Next-generation writers and artists took matters into their own hands, trying to decolonize colonial history as it remained for too long forgotten in the Italian history.

This will be the topic of the symposium Memories of Africa. Colonial traces in Italian culture, held at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice on Friday November 24th at 3pm, at the Aula Magna Silvio Trentin at Ca' Dolfin (Dorsoduro 3825/D, Venice).

Shaul Bassi and Elena Cadamuro (Ca’ Foscari University of Venice), Alessandra Di Maio (Università di Palermo), and Vittorio Longhi (Associazione Progressi) will give a general introduction.

Writer Igiaba Scego and photographer Rino Bianchi will talk about Denied colonialism: postcolonial itineraries within the city of Rome, with images from the guide “Roma negata. Percorsi postcoloniali nella città”, Ediesse 2014.

Writers Maaza Mengiste (Eritrean, currently living in Venice as a guest of the Waterlines project) and Francesca Melandri will discuss Melandri’s novel Sangue giusto (Rizzoli, 2017).

The day will end at 8.30pm at the Ca’ Foscari theatre with Daniele Timpano’s and Elvira Frosini’s play Acqua di Colonia (information and reservation at  biglietteria.teatrocafoscari@unive.it).

The event was organized by the International Center for the Humanities and Social Change at Ca’ Foscari in collaboration with Progressi and Waterlines.