The Nave Italia and the Politics of Latinità: Art, Commerce, and Cultural Colonization in the Early Days Of Fascism.

During 1924 the Nave Italia visited every Latin American city with a significant Italian community. This ship carried industrial and artisanal products, and numerous artworks by commercially successful but aesthetically conservative Italian artists. The Italia aimed to establish commercial partnerships with the emerging markets of Latin America, and to extend the political influence of Italy across the Atlantic. To do so, the organizers emphasized the concept of latinità, suggesting a common heritage shared by Italy and Latin America. This paper analyzes the artistic content of the Italia and how it manifested the ambiguities of Fascism's project of cultural colonization of Latin America. While most visitors of the Italia did not notice any anticipations of Fascism in the artworks on view, the Mexican Muralists did. I argue that their violent reaction towards the art on the Italia indicates the presence of embedded traces of Fascism in the apparently inoffensive aesthetic of the decorative objects and artworks sent to Latin America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]