Stefano Chiodi's 'Genius Loci' Deconstructs the Myth of Italian Identity

Stefano Chiodi's book 'Genius loci. Anatomia di un mito italiano' (Quodlibet, 2021) critically examines the concept of 'genius loci' and its role in constructing Italian cultural identity. Starting from the 1980 group show 'Genius Loci' curated by Achille Bonito Oliva in Acireale, Chiodi traces how the notion of an 'original' Italian identity was revived in the postmodern era, particularly through Transavanguardia and Arte Povera. He argues that this identity was shaped by an external gaze, especially American, and often relied on stereotypes. The book extends to architecture and urbanism (Aldo Rossi, Franco Purini, Christian Norberg-Schulz), historiography (Federico Zevi, Enrico Castelnuovo, Carlo Ginzburg), and Pasolini's model. Chiodi links the 'return to order' of the 1920s-30s (Carrà, Sironi, Soffici, Strapaese) to later artistic negotiations, with Giorgio de Chirico as a key figure of ambiguity. The final chapter uses the opening scene of Fellini's 'La dolce vita' as a model for a non-nostalgic Italian identity that embraces conflict. The book also addresses the 'made in Italy' rhetoric and its fascist connections.