Monumenta Italia: Irene Pittatore's public art project questions women's representation in monuments

Artist Irene Pittatore launched Monumenta Italia, a public art project in Turin that challenges the underrepresentation of women in monuments. Curated by Lisa Parola and Tea Taramino, the project stems from research by the Centro Studi e Documentazione Pensiero Femminile APS, which surveyed monuments dedicated to historical women in Piedmont. Findings reveal that most statues of women are unnamed, symbolic, and often depicted reclining or kneeling at the feet of male heroes. The project includes public poster campaigns, a video documentation exhibition, school workshops, and a publication. It begins on February 26 in Piazza Bottesini as part of Opera Viva Barriera di Milano, continues at the URP of the Regional Council of Piedmont and Piazza Bengasi metro station, and concludes at Recontemporary near the Mole Antonelliana from March 6 to 28. The publication will feature theoretical contributions by Parola and Taramino. The initiative aims to raise awareness of 'epistemicide'—the erasure of women's thought—and promote a new vision of public art that is aesthetic, political, and social.