The exhibition “The Future Was Then: The Changing Face of Fascist Italy,” running at Poster House in New York until February 2026, showcases over 75 artworks borrowed from Bologna’s Fondazione Massimo e Sonia Cirulli. Curated by BA Van Sise, the exhibition reveals how Benito Mussolini’s regime utilized art and advertising to create a national brand that promoted both pride and control.
The collection features various forms of creative propaganda, including avant-garde photomontages and consumer posters, illustrating Mussolini’s efforts to transform Italy from what he viewed as a “third world country” into a modern power. Van Sise highlights the intricacies of Mussolini’s marketing strategies and the aesthetic appeal of the propaganda, noting that these artistic talents often thrived under fascism. He reflects on the personal complexities of curating such works, as his family experienced the impact of Mussolini’s regime firsthand.
Van Sise warns that the propaganda techniques of Mussolini resonate in contemporary politics, particularly in modern fascist movements. The exhibition encourages visitors to grapple with the dichotomy between the beauty of the artworks and the underlying brutality of their historical context, suggesting that history is often more relevant and close than it seems.
