The Aircraft as a Fascist Propaganda Artifact
( View of Italian Cities, exhibition, Metropole/Colony at Frost Museum)
The
totalitarian European states in the 30s tried to establish a link between
nationalist popular feelings and identity, by employing modern techniques of
visual expression and advance technology through the state propaganda. The
airplane as a modern artifact represents an element or image of unreachable
power and modernity for the “technological deprived” African colonies.
Mussolini,
establish his totalitarian government within a strong sense of inferiority in
relationship with other Europeans powers, especially after the World War I,
when Italy was not invited to participate at the Versailles Conference. To overcome
this sense of inferiority it was necessary to recuperate the glories of the
Roman Empire, and to show to the rest of Europe that Italy could again become
an Empire by colonizing East African territories. The demagogic propaganda of
this period showed how Italy, with the airplane, defined its presence in the
world. One of the first fascist international propaganda campaigns was the
relationship with the Americas – the flights of Italo Balbo to Rio de Janeiro,
South America and Chicago North America in 1930-1933. After that representation
of supremacy and power Italy launch a propaganda campaign introducing Italians
idiosyncrasy in African colonies, where Italy will be responsible of introduce
the benefits of modernity: the airplane, the new projects improving cities
infrastructure and the Italian fascist architecture.
(Exhibition, Metropole/Colony at Frost Museum)
(Italo Balbo transatlantic flights posters propaganda)
The image of the aircraft constantly
revealed and identified the fascist government goals and character. The media
used for this propaganda posters can also be consider avant-garde for its time by
mixing to different forms of visual expression, art-deco with modern graphic
elements. The aircraft was also used as an instrument that allowed architects
and town planners to understand geography, landscapes and cities.
(Exhibition, Metropole/Colony at Frost Museum)
In the exhibition “The Metropole /
Colony Africa and Italy”, the image of the airplane is used constantly as a
propaganda element; as a symbol of power and modernity; a technical instrument
that permits the connection between continents, and societies, integrating
different cultures from developed countries, to under-development countries The
exposition also shows the principal aspect and interest of the fascist colonization
period in Africa such as “reclamation of land for farming, resettlement of
populations, rebuilding of cities, and intensive promotion of agriculture and
industry”.
1 comment:
Fabio, your completely thorough explanation of the aircraft's symbolism delivered it's rightful importance. In agreement to your thoughts, I found that the series of planes were painted to trigger the association between classical history and forefront technology. By repeating the same act of juxtaposing a military plane with an iconic building, the Italian population views this series as a drill of what is important to Italy as a country. Fascism was becoming the new tradition. It was pertinent that the military was accepted among the people of Italy to ensure support from the population.
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