ABSTRACT
In Italy, monuments to fascism remain nearly everywhere. In some cases, the markers of fascism, particularly the fascio, have been removed. But in many other cases, such symbols remain, as do buildings, urban spaces and even entire towns that were designed and constructed to glorify fascist power. The work of artists Kevin van Braak and Rossella Biscotti explores the following question: does the political program of these projects cease to mean something when a regime loses power? Can a space, building or pool embody fascist agendas or even house political ghosts? Van Braak and Biscotti’s work with fascist architecture includes film, photography, the restoration of a door, a full-scale reconstruction of a long-demolished stair and newly fabricated copies of the desks of 20th-century world leaders, including Mussolini. Their explorations reveal the spaces between intention and reception and highlight the space for engagement and revision.
