Black Archive Alliance Volume II - in collaboration with Villa Romana
History
Started in 2018 Black Archive Alliance is a research and training project that aims to highlight a selection of documents that reflect the realities and histories of African populations, their diaspora and their representation across in a series of archives and public and private collections. The first edition created a virtual map of this archival presence in the city with a catalog that aims to support future research by providing perspectives that foster reflection.
Second edition
The second edition of the project was carried out with a tutoring format with teachers and scholars in tandem with students guiding their research within the network of Florentine archives established with the first edition as well as a few new sites to the project. The “mentors” followed a small group of students in the development of short research projects and writing with the final outcome consisting in the realization of a text which will be published in the second edition of the catalog in 2020. This edition, elaborated over several phases consists of a research period, a public presentation event and finally an exhibition dedicated to a selection of the newly commissioned research and the presentation of the final catalog.
Mentors and affiliations
Maria Stella Rognoni; Prof. African History and Institutions; Universita? degli Studi Firenze
Maria Antonia Rinaldi; Director of Masters in Art History and Museum Studies; Studio Arts College International
Angelica Pesarini; Prof. Black Italia; NYU Florence
Ingrid Greenfield; Scholar and Assistant to the director; Villa I Tatti
Debora Spini; Prof. Political Science, Philosophy and Women’s Studies; Syracuse University Florence
Sasha Perugini; Director Syracuse University Florence
Lorenzo Publici; Prof. Italian Modern History; Santa Reparata International School of Art and Universita? degli Studi Firenze
Agnes Stillger; PHD Candidate LMU Munich, Co-Curator; Villa Romana
Students:
Ladan Savar, MICA/SACI
Nina Vitale, MICA/SACI
Anthony Quesen, MICA/SACI
Brian Rush, SRISA
Kemiya Searles, Syracuse University Florence Mila Pingin, SACI
Polina Nazarova, SACI
Anna Cuciurean-Zapan, New York University Florence
Clara Hillis, New York University Florence
Friday 6 December 6-7pm was the public presentation of the research for Volume II of Black Archive Alliance. Stay tuned for the Volume II Catalogue forthcoming February 2020.
Project presentation_
Black Archive Alliance Volume II
A Villa Romana project in collaboration with Black History Month Florence
Le Murate Art District
We are pleased to invite you to the public presentation of a small series of research projects conducted in several archives located in the Florentine territory. This research offers us insights into the history that links Florence to the African continent and to Afro-Descendant people and cultures. The presentation of the second volume of the Black Archive Alliance will be an opportunity for the public to learn about the project in a phase of development, anticipating the catalog that will be presented in February 2020 within the Black History Month Florence program.
History
Started in 2018 Black Archive Alliance is a research and training project that aims to highlight a selection of documents that reflect the realities and histories of African populations, their diaspora and their representation across in a series of archives and public and private collections. The first edition created a virtual map of this archival presence in the city with a catalog that aims to support future research by providing perspectives that foster reflection.
Second edition
The second edition of the project was carried out with a tutoring format with teachers and scholars in tandem with students guiding their research within the network of Florentine archives established with the first edition as well as a few new sites to the project. The "mentors" followed a small group of students in the development of short research projects and writing with the final outcome consisting in in the realization of a text which will be published in the second edition of the catalog in 2020.
More info:https://www.facebook.com/events/1545762342229087/
(Italiano in fondo)
Black Archive Alliance
November 27-29/2018
Villa Romana in the context of Cantiere Toscana,
with the support of the Tuscany Region - Toscanaincontemporanea2018,
in collaboration with BHMF
Villa Romana, as part of the Cantiere Toscana project, supported by the Tuscany Region-Tuscanyincontemporanea2018 and in collaboration with BHMF, organized a series of mini-exhibitions, tours and presentations based on private and public archives, collections and libraries throughout Florence with holdings that reflect the realities and histories of African and African Diasporic peoples and their representation. This series of shows from the 27th-29th of November 2018 creates a virtual map of this archival presence in the city. The resulting catalogue intends to assist future research while providing insight to people who visit the range of spaces dislocated throughout Florence and beyond with which we are in collaboration. Drawing upon the form of an archive folder the pubic was invited to visit each site in the list to collect the pages of the catalogue and complete the document in an informative, participatory
game.
Objectives
•Present archival materials in sites throughout the city broadening the access to the findings
•Highlight histories that have frequently been omitted from local memory
•Provide the foundational spark for future research in this field
•Remedy the state of amnesia that isolates African and African
•Diasporic presence in the city and country as an exclusively contemporary phenomenon
•Highlight the research and researchers who have already been doing this work
•Produce texts and photographic exhibition materials that can later be reinstalled as educational resources.
Sites
Biblioteca Marucelliana, Via Camillo Cavour, 43, 50129 Firenze;
8.30 am – 6.30 pm
Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, Piazza San Lorenzo 9, 50123 Firenze;
9.30 am – 13.30 pm
British Institute of Florence/ Harold Acton Library, Lungarno Guicciardini 9, 50125
Firenze; 10 am - 18 pm
Mediateca Toscana, Via San Gallo 25, 50129 Firenze; 10 am – 1/ 2 - 7 pm
Centro Studi La Pira, Via dei Pescioni 3, 50123 Firenze; 9 am – 7 pm
Fondazione Santa Maria Nuova, Piazza Santa Maria Nuova 1, 50122 Firenze;
10 am - 1/3 - 7 pm
Le Murate Progetti Arte Contemporanea/ MUS.E, Via dell’Agnolo, 50122 Firenze;
9 – 7 pm
SACI/ Worthington Library, Palazzo dei Cartelloni, Via Sant Antonio 11,
50123 Firenze, 9am – 9 pm
Syracuse University Florence/ Syracuse Florence Library, Piazza Fra’Girolamo
Savonarola 15, 50132 Firenze; 9 – 1:30/ 3 – 8 pm
27 November
Villa La Pietra Firenze 2:30-3:30 pm
Tour of the collection of Villa La Pietra with
particular attention to the scholarship and initiatives conducted by the institution
to contextualize and re-signify the works. The visit is led by Francesca Baldry
Collection Manager of the Acton Collection. Reservation is mandatory with
limited spots. Please write to: info@blackhistorymonthflorence.com
Le Murate Progetti Arte Contemporanea(Emeroteca) 5:30 pm Presentation of
the project dedicated to Colonial Postcards from Italian editors and Stamps from
the Poste Italiane with the research of the Students of Angelica Pesarini’s Black
Italia class at New York University Florence together with the presentation of an
artistic project dedicated to Colonial Botanical Gardens by Michele Dantini.
Le Murate Progetti Arte Contemporanea ore 6 pm Preparing a Recovery
Plan_Artist Screening of artists working with the archive as form and context with
videos by: Lerato Shadi, Kevin Jerome Everson e Alessandra Ferrini (with
presence of artists)
28 November
Fototeca, Kunsthistorisches Institut Florenz 3-4 pm
Visit and presentation at the Fototeca of the Kunsthistorisches Institut Florenz with particular attention to the work the institute has done around de-colonizing the archive and a focus on images in the Fototeca of representations of the four continents in mural decoration with student Caroline Coxe of Syracuse University
Florence. Reservation is mandatory with limited spots. Please write to:
office@villaromana.org
Villa Romana 7 pm Opening of the exhibition dedicated to African
Photographers from the Palli Collection.
Opening of the exhibition Black Jazz in Tuscany by photographer Enrico Romero from his personal archive. Opening of an exhibition dedicated to the personal archive of Leonard Bundu with photographs by David Weiss capturing moments of his career and a series documenting the objects of his career by Leonardo Morfini.
29 November
Gli Uffizi 12:30 am - 1:30 pm
Tour of the Uffizi with a focus on African presence, in
particular the portraits of African royalty in the hall of portraits with scholar Ingrid
Greenfield, Post-Doctoral Fellow and Assistant to the Director for Academic
Programs at Villa i Tatti
Reservation is mandatory with limited spots. Please write to:
info@blackhistorymonthflorence.com
Fondazione Ospedale Santa Maria Nuova 2 - 3 pm
Presentation of the project dedicated to abolitionist Sarah Parker Redmond in Florence with the presence of Sirpa Salenius, writer of An Abolitionist Abroad: Sarah Parker Remond in Cosmopolitan Europe published in 2017
Archivio Storico Fratelli Alinari 4 - 5 pm
Tour of the Archivio Storico Fratelli Alinari with details on a collection of images
portraying African and African diasporic soldiers during the Second World War
based on research by Tatjana Lightburn MFA Candidate at SACI
Reservation is mandatory with limited spots. Please write to:
office@villaromana.org
Centro degli Studi La Pira 6 pm
Presentation of the exhibition dedicated to the friendship between Giorgio La
Pira and Leopold Senghor and Senghor’s speeches in Italy with participation of
Papa Demba
Closing conversation on the Black Archive Alliance project
The other spaces are visitable in their opening hours.
Black Archive Alliance
27-29 novembre (Spazi visitabili in questi giorni)
Villa Romana nell´ambito di Cantiere Toscana,
con il supporto della Regione Toscana - Toscanaincontemporanea2018,
in collaborazione con BHMF
Villa Romana, nell´ambito del progetto Cantiere Toscana, sostenuto dalla Regione Toscana -Toscanaincontemporanea2018 e in collaborazione con BHMF, organizza una serie di piccole esposizioni, tour e presentazioni basate su archivi, collezioni e biblioteche private e pubbliche di Firenze, per mettere in risalto una selezione di documenti che riflettono le realtà e le storie delle popolazioni africane, della loro diaspora e della loro rappresentazione. La serie di mostre sarà aperta per tre giorni, nell'ultima settimana di novembre, creando una mappa virtuale di questa presenza archivistica nella città. Il catalogo che deriverà de questa “Black Archive Alliance”, intende essere di supporto alla ricerca futura fornendo informazioni dettagliate a coloro che visiteranno questi spazi, dislocati in tutto il territorio fiorentino, che prenderanno parte a questa iniziativa.
Forniti di una cartella archivistica, i visitatori saranno invitati a recarsi presso gli spazi elencati per raccogliere, come in un gioco partecipativo e informativo, vari elementi e completare la propria copia del catalogo.
Obiettivi
Raccogliere materiali d'archivio presenti in città, allargando l'accesso ai risultati bibliografici.
Evidenziare le cronologie che sono state spesso omesse dalla memoria locale.
Fornire la scintilla fondamentale per la ricerca futura in questo campo.
Rimediare allo stato di amnesia che isola la presenza diasporica africana nella città e nel paese come fenomeno esclusivamente contemporaneo.
Mettere in evidenza la ricerca e i ricercatori che hanno già svolto questo lavoro.
Produrre testi e materiali per mostre fotografiche che potranno essere in seguito re-installati come risorse educative.
Elenco delle istituzioni
Biblioteca Marucelliana, Via Camillo Cavour, 43, 50129 Firenze; ore 8.30 – 18.30
Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, Piazza San Lorenzo 9, 50123 Firenze; ore 9.30 – 13.30
British Institute of Florence/ Harold Acton Library, Lungarno Guicciardini 9, 50125 Firenze; ore 10 - 18
Mediateca Toscana, Via San Gallo 25, 50129 Firenze; ore 10 – 13 / 14 - 19
Centro Studi La Pira, Via dei Pescioni 3, 50123 Firenze, ore 9 – 19
Fondazione Santa Maria Nuova, Piazza Santa Maria Nuova 1, 50122 Firenze; ore 10 - 13/15 - 19
Le Murate Progetti Arte Contemporanea/ MUS.E, Via dell’Agnolo, 50122 Firenze; ore 9 – 19
SACI/ Worthington Library, Palazzo dei Cartelloni, Via Sant Antonio 11, 50123 Firenze; ore 9 - 21
Syracuse University Florence/ Syracuse Florence Library, Piazza Fra’Girolamo Savonarola 15, 50132 Firenze; ore 9 - 13.30/ 15 - 20
27 Novembre
Villa La Pietra Firenze; ore 14:30-15:30
Tour della collezione di Villa La Pietra con attenzione alla ricerca e contestualizzazione della collezione e del suo archivio con Francesca Baldry, Collection Manager della Acton Collection
Prenotazione obbligatoria con posti limitati. Scrivere a info@blackhistorymonthflorence.com
Le Murate Progetti Arte Contemporanea (Emeroteca); ore 17:30
Presentazione del progetto dedicato alle cartoline coloniali di vari editori italiani e ai francobolli delle Poste Italiane ricercate dagli studenti del Corso Black Italia di Angelica Pesarini della New York University Florence. Presentazione di un progetto artistico sui giardini botanici coloniali di Michele Dantini.
Le Murate Progetti Arte Contemporanea; ore 18
Preparing a Recovery Plan: Screening con video di artisti che utilizzano l’archivio come forma e contenuto: Lerato Shadi, Kevin Jerome Everson e Alessandra Ferrini (alle presente degli artisti).
28 Novembre
Fototeca del Kunsthistorisches Institut Florenz; ore 15-16
Visita e presentazione alle Fototeca del Kunsthistorisches Institut Florenz, con un particolare focus sulle immagini della fototeca dedicate alle rappresentazione dei 4 continenti nelle decorazioni murarie, con la Studentessa Caroline Coxe delle Syracuse University Florence.
Prenotazione obbligatoria con posti limitati. Scrivere a office@villaromana.org
Villa Romana; ore 19
Inaugurazione della mostra dedicata ai Fotografi Africani nella collezione Palli
Inaugurazione della mostra Black Jazz in Tuscany con le foto di Enrico Romero e del suo archivio personale
Inaugurazione della mostra dedicata all’archivio personale di Leonard Bundu, con foto di David Weiss, della sua carriera e la documentazione dei suoi oggetti da parte di Leonardo Morfini
29 Novembre
Gallerie degli Uffizi; ore 12:30-13:30
Tour degli Uffizi con focus sulla presenza africana e i ritratti presenti nella collezione di regnanti africani con la studiosa Ingrid Greenfield Post-Doctoral Fellow and Assistant to the Director for Academic Programs a Villa i Tatti.
Prenotazione obbligatoria con posti limitati. Scrivere a info@blackhistorymonthflorence.com
Fondazione Ospedale Santa Maria Nuova; ore 14-15
Presentazione del progetto dedicato a Sarah Parker Redmond a Firenze con la presenza di Sirpa Salenius autrice del libro An Abolitionist Abroad: Sarah Parker Remond in Cosmopolitan Europe di 2017
Archivio Storico Fratelli Alinari; ore 16-17
Tour dell’Archivio Storico Fratelli Alinari con una selezione della collezione di immagini che ritraggono soldati africani e della diaspora durante La Seconda Guerra Mondiale in base alla ricerca di Tatjana Lightburn MFA candidate a SACI
Prenotazione obbligatoria con posti limitati. Scrivere a office@villaromana.org
Centro Studi La Pira; ore 18
Presentazione della mostra dedicata all’amicizia fra Leopold Senghor e Giorgio La Pira e ai discorsi in Italia di Senghor. con la partecipazione di Papa Demba
Discorso conclusivo del progetto Black Archive Alliance
Tutti gli altri spazi del progetto sono visitabili nei loro orari di apertura.