City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works All Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects 2-2016 Export / Import: The Promotion of Contemporary Italian Art in the United States, 1935–1969 Raffaele Bedarida Graduate Center, City University of New York How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/736 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact: [email protected] EXPORT / IMPORT: THE PROMOTION OF CONTEMPORARY ITALIAN ART IN THE UNITED STATES, 1935-1969 by RAFFAELE BEDARIDA A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty in Art History in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, The City University of New York 2016 © 2016 RAFFAELE BEDARIDA All Rights Reserved ii This manuscript has been read and accepted for the Graduate Faculty in Art History in satisfaction of the Dissertation requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy ___________________________________________________________ Date Professor Emily Braun Chair of Examining Committee ___________________________________________________________ Date Professor Rachel Kousser Executive Officer ________________________________ Professor Romy Golan ________________________________ Professor Antonella Pelizzari ________________________________ Professor Lucia Re THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK iii ABSTRACT EXPORT / IMPORT: THE PROMOTION OF CONTEMPORARY ITALIAN ART IN THE UNITED STATES, 1935-1969 by Raffaele Bedarida Advisor: Professor Emily Braun Export / Import examines the exportation of contemporary Italian art to the United States from 1935 to 1969 and how it refashioned Italian national identity in the process. I do not concentrate on the Italian art scene per se, or on the American reception of Italian shows. Through a transnational perspective, instead, I examine the role of art exhibitions, publications, and critical discourse aimed at American audiences. Inaugurated by the Fascist regime as a form of political propaganda, this form of cultural outreach to the United States continued after WWII as Italian museums, dealers, and critics aimed to vaunt the new republic’s political validity and cultural vitality in a process of national rehabilitation and economic modernization. My thesis is that, beyond the immediate aim of political propaganda and of creating a new foreign market for Italian art, these cultural manifestations had a more important function for their makers: they served as laboratories for Italians to construct their own modern identity. The United States, in fact, represented not only the world’s new dominant cultural and economic power, but also the paradigm of modernity. Bringing contemporary Italian art to the US in key moments when the relationship between the two countries was redefined, was a way to re-invent Italy’s self-image at home. iv Export / Import argues three major points that complicate standard narratives of Italian Fascist propaganda on the one hand and of American Cold War imperialism on the other. First, I challenge the idea of propaganda as a one-way action that affects only the receiving end by showing the transformative power that the making of propaganda has on the identity of its makers. Secondly, I question the idea of influence, ubiquitous in art historical discourse. What has been deterministically simplified as the phenomenon of Americanization of Italian culture and identity is studied here as a pro-active and non- linear process of identity construction on the part of the supposedly passive object of cultural imperialism. Finally, I address traveling exhibitions as a form of translation: both physical and cultural. Exported to a different country, artworks changed context and took on new meaning. Some of them entered American collections, others returned to Italy with new connotations attached to them. After an introduction, which examines futurist artist Fortunato Depero’s experience in New York (1929-1931) and his subsequent fixation with America, the discussion begins with the exhibitions of contemporary art organized by the Fascist Regime in the US (1935-1940). The second chapter investigates Twentieth-Century Italian Art held at MoMA in 1949 and other postwar shows that promoted a “New Italian Renaissance,” allegedly the fruit of both the Allied liberation of Italy and the defeat of Communism in the Italian political elections of 1948. Chapter three focuses on a third wave of shows that, during the “economic boom” of the late 1950s, advertised a “New Italy,” optimistic and open to American culture. The final chapter analyzes the launch of Arte Povera on American soil in the late 1960s as both a specifically Italian reaction against “Cocacolonization” and part of the international protests of the late sixties. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My thanks go first of all to my advisor Emily Braun who has provided me with uninterrupted guidance and support throughout my trajectory as a graduate student. A meticulous reader and a patient listener, she has always proved an ideal interlocutor: challenging, sharp, and generous. Her role in this dissertation has been profoundly impactful. The insights of my readers have made this dissertation a stronger work. A volcano of ideas and a frank critic, Romy Golan has been an important point of reference. Through their unique perspectives and deep knowledge, Antonella Pelizzari and Lucia Re have helped me refine my ideas. I am grateful for their thoughtful and passionate responses. This dissertation was supported by generous grants: a CUNY Graduate Center Chancellor Fellowship funded by Barbara Slifka; a CUNY Graduate Center Dissertation Fellowship; a Gulnar Bosch Travel Grant; and a Center for Italian Modern Art Fellowship. My most sincere appreciation goes these individuals and institutions. The project benefited greatly form the archivists, librarians, and others who helped me find key documents and publications. I am especially grateful to: Stefano Valeri, Archivio Lionello Venturi, Rome; Emanuela Termine, Fondazione Bruno Zevi, Rome; Claudia Palma, Archivio Bioiconografico e dei Fondi Storici, Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna, Rome; Giuseppa Saccaro del Buffa, Archivio Eugenio Battisti, Rome; Barbara Faedda, Italian Academy for Advanced Studies at Columbia University, New York; Elisabeth Thomas, MoMA Archives, New York. A special thank you is due to vi Milan Hughston, Jennifer Tobias, and the entire staff of the MoMA Library who hosted me so graciously in their beautiful spaces through the bulk of the writing process. Innumerable conversations, discussions, and encounters have influenced and informed my project. In particular, I want to thank my teachers, friends, and colleagues at the CUNY Graduate Center whose ideas and opinions have counted greatly: Stephanie Jeanjean, Mary Ann Caws, Rosemary Ramsey, Geoffrey Batchen, Lauren Kaplan, Jennifer Ball, Andrew Cappetta, Rachel Kousser, Media Farzin, Claire Bishop, Joseph Alpar, Patricia Mainardi, Nadine Helm, and Cynthia Hahn. As a fellow at the Center for Italian Modern Art (CIMA), I found a stimulating environment of fruitful exchange and cooperation with: Fabio Belloni, Francesco Guzzetti, Laura Moure Cecchini, Flavio Fergonzi, Vivien Greene, Nicholas Fox-Weber, and Valentina Pero. My special thanks go to Heather Ewing for her warm support during and after my time at CIMA and for her invaluable comments on the manuscript; and, most of all, to Laura Mattioli, who made CIMA possible with her generosity and vision. Other friends and colleagues have variously helped me with their brilliance: Davide Colombo, Titia Hulst, Manuel Fontán del Junco, Martha Schulman, Davide Lacagnina, Ruggero Montrasio, Jacopo Galimberti, Adrian Duran, Daniele Astrologo Abadal, Franco Baldasso, Nicola Lucchi, Ara Merjan, Talia Kwartler, Francesco Tumbiolo, Reuven Israel, and Mariagrazia Pontorno. For their warm hospitality during my research travels I extend my gratitude to: Daniel and Amanda Stevens in Washington D.C.; Tommaso and Sara Disegni in Milan; Gabriel El Zarrugh in Milan; Adolfo, Monica and Paola Profumo in Genoa; Rivka Burstein in Rome; Nicola Campigli in Saint-Tropéz; Daniel Fitzpatrick in London; and Francesca Montrasio in Monza. My greatest appreciation goes to my grandparents Lea vii and Gastone Orefice, and to my aunt Laura Orefice: their presence in New York, their hospitality and support played a determinant role in my choice to move here in the first place. And they made my life as an international student easier and more pleasant. My deepest gratitude is for my parents Anna and Daniele, who have never stopped being a source of inspiration and encouragement. And most of all, I want to thank my wife Dafne. Words are insufficient here. I dedicate this dissertation to her. viii TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract………………………………………………………………….. iv Acknowledgments………………………………………………………. vi List Of Illustrations……………………………………………………… x Introduction: “I Will Smash The Alps Of The Atlantic:” Exporting Italian Art To America And The Construction Of A Modern National Identity ………………………………………………………………………… 1 Chapter One: Exporting Fascist Culture / Importing American Modernity …………………………………………………………………………. 30 Chapter Two: Operation Renaissance: Moma And The Post-War Rehabilitation Of Italy ………………………………………………………………………….. 91 Chapter Three: “Tu Vuo’ Fa’ L’americano:” Reshaping The Image