Lisa Hockemeyer: Roma Eterna. Art and culture in post-war Rome: between ruins, resistance and renewal
Lecture
On 4 June 1944, Rome was liberated by the Allied forces, marking a decisive turning point in Italian history. The city became a symbol of liberation from the Fascist and Nazi regimes and quickly developed into a centre of cultural renewal. Rome, for centuries a place of myths, memories and artistic aspirations, now became the scene of artistic renewal itself. Out of the ruins of war, new forms of expression emerged in film, fine and applied arts, design and crafts. Artists not only shaped their present, but also designed a new Italy – with an aesthetic that combined resistance, hope and the longing for freedom with newly unleashed creativity, culminating in the myth of la dolce vita.
The lecture explores how an aesthetic of joie de vivre and optimism took shape in fine art, film, crafts and the staging of design icons such as the Vespa scooter, which continues to have an impact today and decisively influences our perception of Italian culture and identity.
Lisa Hockemeyer is a German design and art historian. She teaches design history in Milan.
The event will take place in German at the Casa di Goethe. It will be streamed live from there.
To participate live, please book at prenotazioni@casadigoethe.it
