ITALN 245 - My Color is Black: Exploration in Afro-Italian Cultures

Credits: (3)
In an interview with the magazine Document, the Ethiopian-Italian artist, Jem Perucchini describes the ways in which he  uses African aesthetics in his work as an Italian artist. When speaking of color, Perucchini proudly proclaims that his Italian heritage connects him to his favorite color–black. His statement “My color is black” inspires the title and subject of this course. Many intellectuals (writers, artists & scholars) of Afro-Italian descent have begun to explore Italy’s long-overlooked African colonial past and the cultural contributions that these ever-growing immigrant communities have made to Italian civilization. This course will examine Italy’s relationship to the African continent-especially Ethiopia, Eritrea & Somalia, its colonial past, and the vibrant immigrant cultures that are taking shape in contemporary Italy. This course in Italian explores these themes through writers, artists, filmmakers and historians both Italian & African who reflect the Afro-Italian experience in their work. Prerequisite(s): ITALN 102 Beginning Italian II (3) (Offered Occasionally)