Italian Art Since the 1990s Explored in 'The Future Behind Us' at Villa Arson

Marco Scotini curates 'Le Futur derrière nous' at Villa Arson in Nice, presenting Italian artistic production from the 1990s onward. The exhibition examines creative responses to the political and social 'riflusso' of the 1980s, marked by state violence and shifting values. Works by collectives and individual artists address historical events and their lingering trauma. Francesco Arena's installation references the death of anarchist Giuseppe Pinelli with objects scaled to the fatal fall. Rossella Biscotti presents 'The Trial' (2010–13), a project stemming from research into fascist architecture and the 'April 7' trials from 1979 to 1988. The show includes Uliano Lucas's 1970 photograph of a Milan sit-in, Luca Vitone's 'Carta atopica' (1988–92), and Francesco Jodice's video 'La notte del Drive-In. Milano Spara' (2013). Other featured artists are Rä di Martino, whose video 'Outside the Theatres' (2021) explores the Centre for Theatre Research and Experimentation, Adelita Husni-Bey, Claire Fontaine, Danilo Correale, and the Stalker collective. The exhibition is staged within Michel Marot's brutalist complex, built on the site of a 19th-century mansion originally owned by banker Pierre-Joseph Arson. It runs through 28 August.