This lecture will present the intersections between the research-based practices of visual artist Alessandra Ferrini and curator Simone Frangi. It will be articulated as a series of conversations revolving around three main points of contact between the speakers’ work. Firstly, it will entail a reflection on critical historiography as a political praxis to intervene in the present, pertaining specifically to the engagement with the archive of coloniality (and, in particular, the Italian colonial past). Secondly, it will consider the ethics of contemporary documentary-based practice, with a specific focus on current debates on the representation of Mediterranean border politics. Lastly, the conversation will draw to a close by considering forms of resistance, positioning, and cultural activism within artistic practice. A display of artworks, texts and documentation of the speakers’ work will complement the talk.

Alessandra Ferrini is a London-based visual artist, researcher, and educator. Rooted in lens-based media, her work questions the legacies of Italian colonialism and fascism. She is a PhD candidate at the University of the Arts London and is affiliated with InteRGRace, the Interdisciplinary Research Group on Race and Racisms. Exhibitions and screenings include: 5th Casablanca Biennale (2020), Villa Romana (2019), Sharjah Film Platform (2019), Manifesta 12 Film Programme (2018).
Simone Frangi is a researcher, writer, and curator. He co-directs Live Works - Performance Act Award at Centrale Fies (Trento, IT) and  A Natural Oasis? Transnational Research Programme. He's Professor of Theory of Contemporary Art at Fine Arts and Design Academy in Grenoble (FR) - where he founded the workshop and residency-based program Pratiques d'Hospitalité. He’s senior curator of MEDITERRANEA 19 - School of Waters (San Marino, 2020).