The exhibition Metropole/Colony: Africa and Italy

The exhibition Metropole/Colony: Africa and Italy displays interesting points of the relationship between imperial Italy of 1922-1943 and Italy’s East African colonies, combined under Africa Orientale Italiana (AIO), along with North African Libya, Albania and the Greek Dodecanese Islands. This exposition documents the strategies used by metropole to assimilate African population into Italy. Similar to the Roman Republic, the fascist regime tried to integrate Italian style of life in Africa, in order to gain and secure their economical position in the quest for colonization. This integration was imposed on agriculture, infrastructure, media and urban planning.

Figure 1. Map from Africa Orientale Italiana, published by Consociazione Turistica Italiana (1938) shows Italian Fascist colonial holdings

The exhibition context centers around a few main topics:

1.        Role of industry for the growth of Colonial  agriculture and needs of metropole
2.        Global transportation expansion as  a part of military and tourist intensification
3.        Formation of Italian identity along with the international missioner profile

As part of the national identity formation, Mussolini’s government employed ideas of conquering foreign land while making reference to the Roman past. As historical and cultural meanings were projected on economical production and massive consumption, there was a special focus on industries like sugar, grain, cotton production. The government dogma brought desire of each citizen to contribute to the big and powerful nation. 

Figure 2. Government propaganda highlights the importance of production of agricultural products for the empire’s internal consumption. Photo on right shows Italian children, set in a pattern as to create cheering image for the banana campaign

Figure 4. Airlines’ and Banco de Roma postcards popularize Italians’ presence in the East Africa

The exhibition demonstrates the romanticizing of the very idea of aircraft and transportation. Oil paintings depictured an expression of the new-minted aircraft mechanisms in soft edge and light, making their association with significant buildings and places, and sometimes, using them as backgrounds.

Figure 5. Prisma crociera atlantica su Rio de Janeiro by Italian artist Afredo Gauro Ambrosi (1933). Author is unknown on the right

Promoting national tourism in Africa was a next step that Italy took after establishing its authority in colonies. Fiat train provided its riders with an experience, similar to that of Italian conquerors. People were living their history and could literally retreat the military moves, imagining themselves as being soldiers, moving throughout Africa

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 Figure 6. Fiat manufacturing and aircraft are gear for Italy modernization and military campaign

Figure 7. Poster on a left, ALA littoria S. A. Roma. Linea dell'impero shows the troops’ route that tourists were following. Designer is unknown (1937)

In return, the country was asking their citizen to make contribution by donating their wedding rings. The steel rings were given back as a sign of the national pride.

Figure 8. Poster demonstrates symbolic sacrifice of Italian families to the well-being of the empire

Italian Self-promoted Identity nurtured by the internal development and agricultural enlargement, creates its profile in relations to the colonies. The exposition illustrations show an interesting fact that the colonies almost never were pictured along, but with the strong relations to the Italian metropole “civilian mission.” Urban project of the construction a capital of AOI, Addis Ababa, manifests a spacial relationship of its elements, which generates specific urban orientation, superimposed with monumental scale, symmetrical and grid layout. As result the planned city meant to speak about the power of the Italian empire.

Figure 9. Master plans for Rome's Addis Ababa, capital of Italian East Africa meant to reshape local terrain while configurations for segregation along with the monumental arch were signs of supreme power of the Metropole. On the right, Poster displays design of the Roma 1942-XX arch by Giorgio for Quaron Espozione Universale (1939). The arch is symbolic entrance from the Italian capital to trans-Mediterranean empire

As response to internationally disapproval, Italy defeats it reputation and stresses its appearance in Africa as a part of a larger missionary mission that brings civilization to underdeveloped countries.

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Figure 10. Painting depictures Italians as children that came to Africa to administer justice, by taking the wealth from the ruling class and distributing it among poor’s. On right Platter San Giorgio Benito uccide il monstro delle sanzione by Golia (1936) depictures “St. George Benito” Mussolini killing the monster of Sanctions

Despite the Italian intrusion and fascist fashioned propaganda over the African territories, the modernization had positive aspects in development of these lands. The colonial regime did manage to improve the road system, transportation, infrastructure and agricultural productivity in their colonies.