Exhibition Film as a Tool for Institutional Self-Analysis

The article, written in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, examines how lockdowns and spatial restrictions have transformed the art world's approach to exhibitions, shifting from physical spaces to digital platforms. It critiques the overwhelming proliferation of online content by institutions (e.g., Uffizi becoming the most-followed museum on TikTok) and contrasts it with platforms like MUBI and Mymovies.it, which adopted a scheduled, time-respecting model for art films. The author proposes the concept of the "exhibition film" (exhibition film) as an alternative medium for documenting and analyzing exhibitions, moving beyond static photography. Key examples include Chris Marker and Alain Resnais's 1953 essay film "Les Statues Meurent Aussi," which critiques French colonialism and the museum as a cemetery, and works by Alessandra Ferrini ("Negotiating Amnesia," 2015) and Vladislav Shapovalov ("Image Diplomacy," 2017). The text argues that exhibition films can offer a self-reflexive tool for museums to decolonize their archives and rethink display practices, though Italian institutions have been slow to adopt such critical approaches. The essay was produced for the Critical Writing II course at NABA – Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti, academic year 2019/2020.