And what do we know about it?

With the exhibition “And What Do We Know About It?”, the MITAG | Italian War History Museum questions the ways in which Italian colonial events of the period between the late 19th century and World War II have been told and can be told today.

The museum has initiated research on its own colonial collections and on what is preserved in other museums in the region, participating in the international debate on the management of colonial heritage that has already matured in other countries.

The exhibition aims to stimulate critical reflection on how the Italian colonial imaginary was based on stereotypes and romanticized readings, used to legitimize domination and violence. The objects and images on display, also question us about removals and prejudices that still persist today.

Objects, images, documents, propaganda tools and personal property preserved in the repositories of numerous regional museums are presented with their dual significance: testimonies that served to construct colonial imagery and propaganda, but also necessary sources for a critical understanding of the Italian colonial history.

Through a contamination with the language of art, the narrative is enriched by an art installation created by Martina Melilli, in collaboration with Attila Faravelli.

The exhibition project and related initiatives are developed in the 2025 Year of the Euregio Museums, dedicated to the themes of justice, social equality and forms of resistance.

Curated by

Francesco Frizzera, Anna Pisetti, Davide Zendri, Nicola Fontana

Graphic design 

Exhibition design Laurin Kofler (Formbar) + Jacopo Coen

Art installation

Martina Melilli with Attila Faravelli

With the collaboration of the Autonomous Province of Trento

Municipality of Rovereto

European Union - Next Generation EU