Six New Art and Architecture Books: From Rutelli to Toscani

A roundup of six recently published books in Italy covers a range of topics from poetry and photography to urban walking and historic post offices. Édouard Glissant's "Sole della coscienza. Poetica I" (Meltemi, 2022) is a reissue of his first book, originally from 1956, addressing racism and colonialism. Francesco Rutelli's "Roma, camminando" (Laterza, 2022) offers a pedestrian guide to Rome, including an anecdote about a seagull named Emilio that travels 750 km to Switzerland. "Maurizio Fagiolo dell'Arco critico militante 1964-1980" (Officina Libraria, 2022), edited by Fabio Belloni, collects the sharp critiques of the art historian, including a 1967 dismissal of surrealist painting. Giulia Simi's "Jonas Mekas. Cinema e vita" (ETS, 2022) explores the intertwining of film and life in the work of the avant-garde filmmaker, featuring a disorienting excerpt from Mekas. "Oliviero Toscani. Professione fotografo" (Skira, 2022), edited by Nicolas Ballario, accompanies a major exhibition in Milan and includes Toscani's polemical views on creativity and bureaucracy. Finally, "Le belle Poste. Palazzi storici delle Poste Italiane" (Franco Maria Ricci, 2022) examines the modernist post office buildings designed by architect Giuseppe Manzoni, influenced by Futurism.