Confluences: Intersectional Visions of Italy

Artists: Dafne Boggeri, Valeria Cherchi, Giulia Crispiani, Maria Adele Del Vecchio, Binta Diaw, Alessandra Ferrini, Muna Mussie.

Confluences explores issues of social justice connected to notions of Italy, which is far more complex than the single cultural, political, or social space it is commonly thought to be. The artists represented here counter such familiar fictions through projects, most of them here exhibited for the first time in the United States, that consider nuances of individual and collective experience across a variety of topics, such as colonialism, societal amnesia, gender-based biases, and civic activism. These and other realms flow together in an exhibition inspired by hydrofeminism, a theoretical framework that regards all beings as bodies of water, interconnected and interdependent. Across a variety of media and practices, the artists share an ethical and methodological commitment to linguistic exploration, critical thinking, research, and intersectionality—which recognizes how individual identities are shaped by factors such as race, gender, and nationality in unique ways that can both oppress and empower. As in a water system, their work can be regarded as diverse currents flowing toward one purpose: the affirmation of complex personal and historical narratives that challenge stereotypical understandings of Italy.

Curated by Ilaria Conti. Exhibition organized by the Italian Cultural Institute of Washington in collaboration with Georgetown University Art Galleries.