Transnational Encounters: Diasporic Narratives across Italy and Latin America (1960s–1980s)

Lara Demori

Claudio Abate, Untitled (Alberto Greco next to his own handwriting in Rome), 1962 — Claudio Abate, *Untitled* (Alberto Greco next to his own handwriting in Rome), 1962

Claudio Abate, *Untitled* (Alberto Greco next to his own handwriting in Rome), 1962

This research project investigates the presence of Latin American art and artists in Italy from the 1960s to the 1980s. More specifically, it explores their reception and collaboration with Italian artists and cultural institutions and assesses the impact they had on both local narratives and the consequent formation of transnational dialogues and hybrid styles. The presence of Latin American artists in the United Kingdom and France has already been studied extensively. However, the same is not yet true for Italy, where art-historical studies have always prioritized transnational dialogues across Europe or with the United States, neglecting the many far-reaching contacts and migrations between Italy and several Latin American countries.
To fill this gap, this project examines Latin American diasporic narratives that center around Italy during the 1960s and 1970s, a particularly fruitful period for the arts. The research is divided into three themes, each corresponding to a different perspective on these narratives: the presence of Latin American artists in Italy; Latin American artists featured at the Venice Biennale and their influence on contemporaries; and interconnected art histories that reveal how ideas travel. The final section delves into the concept of guerrilla art and its role in art and exhibition practices in Italy, Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay. It also explores the development of the Opera Aperta concept by Haroldo de Campo (1955) and Umberto Eco (1962) in their respective contexts. Additionally, it examines the influence of Jerzy Grotowski’s ‘poor theatre’ on the arts in both Italy and Argentina.