Filippo Minelli's 'Padania Classics' Catalogs the Kitsch Landscape of a Fading Political Myth

Artist Filippo Minelli has launched 'Padania Classics,' a project that documents the visual culture of the imagined state of Padania, once championed by the Lega Nord. Started in 2011, the project collects 850 photographs of the banal and surreal landscapes of northern Italy's industrial suburbs, roundabouts, shopping centers, and unfinished buildings. The images, accompanied by ironic captions, have been shared on a Facebook page. Minelli is now seeking funding on Indiegogo to publish an atlas of these 'Padania Classics' in a box set, working with a team of journalists, graphic designers, and communication experts. The project comes as the Lega Nord, under Matteo Salvini, shifts its focus from northern separatism to national populism, sidelining the original federalist spirit. Minelli's work blends anthropology, architecture, and urbanism to preserve a unique chapter of Italian culture with both scientific rigor and sarcasm.